The Cruising Crusader
by cmarnin
Summary: This is the story of a gangly superhero fangirl who becomes a muscular and powerful super heroine herself in the City of Santa Cruz. The journey of Samantha Cruz starts now!
1. Chapter 1

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 1

It is a bright, sunny day in Santa Cruz CA with every man, woman and child enjoying what the city has to offer. But it is a day that is much more important for the city than anyone ever anticipated. For the 22 year old lady known as Samantha Cruz it is the day that will change her entire life and where she will live out her greatest dream. She watches in awe as the superheros of Santa Cruz do battle with the devious super-villains of the criminal underworld. One such hero is the Suburban Amazon. A very large and imposing woman who is 7 feet tall and who has over 250 pounds of pure muscle in her body. Samantha sees her mere moments after she apprehends Big Ben, a wanted murderer from London. She is utterly ecstatic.

She tells her roommate Tammy

"Wasn't that amazing? I wish I was just as strong and awesome as her!"

Tammy replies

"Oh give me a break you know you could never get her physique. Look at you you're a twig."

Sam has to agree. She has neither a curvaceous hourglass figure like most superheroines or any muscle tone that the Suburban Amazon has. She has little more than skin and bones in her body.

However she clarifies her wish by saying

"But what if I had super powers? Then I would be automatically powerful and I would finally stand out from the crowd!"

Tammy replies

"You know most people get those powers from lab accidents and you can't exactly create a lab accident."

Right at that moment Sam turns around and thinks to herself

"Well what if it wasn't an accident?"

She sneaks out of her apartment late at night, rushes over to the local nuclear power plant and sneaks inside undetected.

Sam is rather surprised that the building lacks security measures. "Man the security for this building really sucks. It's probably why so many other ladies and gents have been able to get some Toxic chemicals on their bodies beforehand. Well sucks to be them!"

Inside she finds a radioactive chemical called "Zafti G" which was originally developed for the military but was rejected due to health concerns. That does not stop Samantha though, she goes inside the radiation containment room and finds a barrel filled with the chemicals.

"Well this is it Sam... The moment of truth... Just dive in. This may hurt but you'll get Superhuman strength or a body that's more anatomically incorrect than a Barbie doll."

She takes a deep breath. Closes her eyes and dives into the barrel headfirst!

She remembers several occasions where she saw other people get doused in chemicals and how they came out with superpowers so even though this seems quite foolish she has some previous observations to make this seem less contrived even if the chemicals are burning her skin to a crisp. She emerges from the barrel and... She looks exactly the same as she did before.

She is puzzled as she sneaks out of the power plant and goes across a street without looking both ways. Suddenly a truck appears to her left and is about to crash into her. She screams and suddenly her muscles grow to bodybuilder proporions and she becomes a foot and a half taller, her body swells in strength and power. Her body is strained and is naturally put in a huge amount of pain, it feels like she's getting stabbed with a hot poker over and over as her body swells up with new muscle. Her biceps harden, her legs get meatier and more defined, her abs form a six pack, and her whole bone structure changes. but it feels much better then getting hit by a truck. She puts her hands in front of her and the truck is forcibly stopped which causes Samantha to open her eyes, survey her surroundings and observe her transformed body.

"Oh my god, I have super powers!" she exclaims. "Whoa. I feel bigger (looks down at her huge muscles) I feel stronger and I feel... Oh shoot. (Notices the injured driver) I should get that guy to a hospital."

After she gives the truck driver some medical attention and sends him to the hospital she returns to her apartment and decides to make herself a costume. A black latex suit with the initials "CC" written on her chest as an insignia, Kevlar covers are applied to her arms and legs and she finishes it off with a nice set of orange tinted goggles. For her weapon she grabs a Bo Staff off of her shelf that she won at an internet auction.

"Okay Sam. You've got to use these massive muscles for the good of mankind! It's just like what the Suburban Amazon says in all of her interviews " We're all Heroes hear us roar!"

The next day she is working at her dead end job at the bank as usual though she places her costume under her normal clothes. She is just minding her own business until mercenaries rush into the building planning to steal the all of the taxpayers hard earned cash.

"Hands up heads down just give us the money and you will get home intact." As soon as the mercenaries say that one of them gets hit by a bo staff which is held by Samantha Cruz she is now 6 foot 6 and she possesses over 200 pounds of pure muscle . She was able to transform right when the Mercenaries came in. She smiles at her opponents with utter confidence and shouts

"Sorry I don't believe you boys bank here! Let those civilians go and surrender or I will show you that these muscles aren't just for show!" In a loud booming voice in contrast to her nerdy alter egos tiny, shy voice.

The mercenaries shout "Who the hell are you lady?"

Samantha then states " I am the Cruising Crusader and you are going down!"

Samantha shows nothing but intimidation in her actions but in her mind she was hesitant to enter this fight.

"(To herself) Holy alloy Sam! This is a 12 to 1 fight! Maybe you should just take out muggers in an alley to start off your superheroics..." Samantha then sees the bank tellers and the civilians who are unable to stop the mercenaries as they plead for their lives.

"No! These people need my help! I must take these guys down!"

The mercenaries try to shoot Samantha but she is too nimble to be caught. Her kicks and punches are so powerful that they knock the mercenaries out cold. She jumps on their heads and kicks two mercenaries in the chest with a drop kick, she leg sweeps and roundhouse kicks a third mercenary, leaps over and slams the fourth one to the ground, body slams a fifth one, hits two with her bo staff, trips up the eighth with her staff, punches the ninth mercenary twice, throws her staff to take out two more mercenaries and finally blocks a punch and delivers a haymaker to the twelfth mercenary. After the short and decisive battle she knocks every mercenary unconscious.

"Impressive, I didn't expect you to take them down that quickly. Wow you've changed considerably Sam. Into a muscle bound Badass if I may" said a mysterious man in a suit.

"Who said that?" said Samantha.

"I said that, don't you remember me? I was your high school rival, Wallace Duvall!"

Wallace Duvall is a spoiled rich kid with a fancy suit, a katana and a penchant for killing the economy of Santa Cruz. When he doesn't kill economies he just hangs around his parents house like a typical dumb, rich 20 year old with no day job.

Samantha and Wallace fight each other and whenever Samantha manages to damage Wallace he in return shows no mercy. Wallace eventually gets on top of her and almost stabs her in the throat but Sam is able to throw her staff into the air which hits Wallace in the back of the head knocking him unconscious. The police arrive right after the battle and after the bank tellers explain the situation the police arrest Wallace and his mercenaries. As the criminals are sent to prison a familiar face congratulates Sam.

"That was amazing for your first mission rookie!"

"Thanks i- Oh my god! Suburban Amazon?! I am one of your biggest fans!"

I'm flattered most rookies don't stop a large scale bank robbery on their first try."

"Thank you Amazon."

"Hey my super buddies and I usually hang out at a smoothie shop near the boardwalk do you want to come with?"

"That would be so awesome!"

After she encounters the Suburban Amazon, The Cruising Crusader becomes an official member of the Power Patrol (The superhero team led by the Amazon). The team consists of Starwoman: a blonde bombshell with a personal grudge against Samantha who has the ability to channel the power of the stars into energy blasts, She Beast: a blue skinned woman who can turn into a 50 foot tall giant at will, Bowregard: an archer who never misses a shot due to his enhanced vision, The Alchemist: a magical man who has lived for over 600 years and The Human Insect: a woman who can shrink down to the size of a bee and disable an opponents limbs by stinging them.

Samantha is at this moment watching the premiere of "Aloha Veronica" a romantic comedy with her roommate Tammy. Of course to blend in with the crowd Samantha is able to shrink down to her svelte and nerdy form which comes in handy in situations where she needs a disguise. The premiere event includes a special appearance from the films star Veronica Woodbury.

Samantha groans "I hate romantic comedies and I also hate bubble headed bimbos who have nothing better to do than star in them."

"I understand Sam but you cannot deny that Veronica Woodbury is gorgeous, besides it's not as bad as that Kardashian sisters movie I showed you a while back."

"Don't remind me of that premiere Tammy, let's just watch this stinker."

However as soon as the audience enters the movie theater the power goes out which shocks the audience inside. When the lights come back on Veronica is nowhere to be found.

Tammy: "Sam what happened to... Where are you Sam?!"

Samantha rushes out of the theater and quickly transforms into the Cruising Crusader ripping off her normal attire to reveal her costume. The Crusader climbs up to the roof of the Theatre to find Veronica being carried away by a red haired woman with strange looking gloves

Veronica: "Help me! Let me go because uhh... I'm really cute!"

"Not a chance you mediocre Hollywood actress!"

Samantha tries to convince the villain to stop the kidnapping

"I don't know why you have a vendetta against bad actresses but you need to stop before I'm forced to use violence."

The villain laughs and says

"You wish Crusader! You are about to know why they call me the Disabler!"

At that moment she lifts her hands and shoots a beam of energy at Sam

"What did you do to me?!"

Samanthas body begins to shrink and her muscles disappear! Her height reduces back to her 5 foot frame and her costume which was previously tight and stretchy out to show off her enormous body was now baggy and flappy

"My muscles! They're gone!"

The Disabler examines her gloves in an ecstatic manner

"These gloves of mine can take your powers away for 30 minutes. Not as long as I would like but long enough for me to kill you and cut your crime fighting career short!"

However right before the Disabler can finish Sam off the Suburban Amazon and Starwoman swoop in, protect Samantha and save Veronica.

Starwoman: "I knew she was weak. Thanks for continuing the typical stereotype of inept female superheroes you dumbass in distress."

Amazon: "Lay off of her Starwoman, she tried her hardest. Be glad that I don't make fun of you almost losing to Gelatin Gun Girl a few years back!"

Starwoman: "Oh come on Amazon that was my first time. My cosmic powers weren't fully developed yet what can I say?"

Disabler: "This isn't the last time you will face me Power Patrol!"

The Disabler gets away and Samantha starts to feel vulnerable. She feels that if she can't defeat this villain she doesn't have a chance to become an actual hero. A few days later she has a meeting with She-Beast to discuss her failed rescue attempt.

"I understand how you feel Sam when I started out on the Power Patrol I lost once to the freaking Bubble Prince! But then the Amazon helped me realize that I was focusing more on what I couldn't do rather than what I could do. Once I learned to believe in my self and my abilities I was able to best my greatest adversaries. Afterwards I was able to take on supernatural beings, alien warlords and literal gods of destruction. I'm strong Samantha but I'm still human. So just have faith in yourself and know your strength."

"Thanks She-Beast I really appreciate your assistance, I just didn't know that being a super hero would involve so much hard work and life or death situations where I would feel disempowered. I thought it would be as easy as Lynda Carter made it look in the 70s Wonder Woman show or as easy as Black Widow made it look in the Marvel movies. So many superheroines are proving they're just as powerful as male superheros are and I wanted to be like them so badly. Hopefully I can make a difference in this city someday. Thanks again"

"You're very welcome and don't sweat it. I was told you were chosen to host a party at The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk where you get to honor the local law enforcement officers."

"Why would the Amazon choose me for this job?"

"To set a trap for the Disabler."

Samantha decides to accept this offer as she is good friends with the officers of the police department. The police usually only handle small time crime due to the prevalence of the superheros around the United States. As such they either assist the superheros or take care of normal, non-powered criminals. At the ceremony Samantha decides to ask the Amazon a question.

"Do you think Disabler will fall for this obvious trap?"

The Disabler then ironically sprints to the boardwalk out of nowhere and challenges Samantha

"Cruising Crusader! Come out and face me!"

Samantha isn't surprised at the Disablers gullible nature

"Ask a stupid question and get an even dumber answer."

The police in attendance try to stop the Disabler but she is able to render their guns useless with her gloves. The Amazon steps in and tells the officers

"It's okay let the Crusader handle it."

The Disabler scoffs and shouts

"Didn't you learn how pathetic you are the last time we fought? Let me give you a reminder."

She activates her gloves and shoots the Crusader again which shrinks her muscles down once more.

"Ahh!"

Samantha at first is losing her powers and her confidence but she remembers what She-Beast taught her and she concentrates as hard as she can on what she can do rather than what she can't do and her muscles grow back! The Disabler is shocked and she attempts to steal Samanthas powerful muscles but every time she does Samantha manages to restore them. Eventually the Disablers gloves overload and explode right in her face scarring it severely.

"No! My face is ruined!"

Samantha grabs the Disabler by the hand and says

"Surrender Disabler!"

Suddenly Wallace appears and startles Samantha.

"Hold it right there Sammy she works for me."

"Wallace how did you get here? I thought you were in prison."

"My parents bailed me out and bribed the district attorney to drop the case, they have more power than you think. This lady here is named Jenny Vermillion. She is only the first of a team of supervillains that I have assembled to take you down. The next two members will kill you for we are the Villainous Vanguards and we will have our vengeance."

Sam is not intimidated by Wallace's threats. She looks menacingly at the two villains and says

"I will be ready to take on your Vanguards so you can tell your friends that they are going down because you have tried to conquer the wrong city and you have messed with the wrong woman."


	2. Chapter 2

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 2

Samantha is in attendance for her first meeting with the Power Patrol where the team is joined by Astrophysicist and surgeon Dr Sandra Day, one of the most brilliant minds in the United States who was a former apprentice of Neil Degrasse Tyson.

"This is absolutely crazy, why would Wallace have this much of a grudge against you?" said Bowregard

"It seems rather obvious that his mind is damaged from his amateur surgery of his brain. You see that brain is connected to his blood stream and his smartphone, because of that and the phones sophisticated artificial intelligence i hypothesize that his brain is receiving orders from his parents which is causing Wallace to perform all of these malicious acts." said Sandra Day

Samantha this whole time is thinking about the two possible assassins that Wallace hired

"I think we should look for some clues and evidence regarding Wallace's Villainous Vanguards, maybe we can locate some intel that could give us an advantage if we face this guy again." said the Crusader

"Affirmative Samantha, allies we are going for the Crusaders idea so we will assemble a four person team to investigate the next possible location for Wallace's heinous crimes" said the Suburban Amazon

"Aye Aye captain" said Starwoman "However i think Miss Cruz should consider a change of attire"

Samantha is confused "You mean my costume?"

"If you can even call it that, the latex is too revealing, the whole suit seems too skin tight when you get into your muscled up form and you're obviously wearing that to get attention from the males on the team."

"Well i could say the same thing to you Ms Skin Tight Spandex! What a hypocrite!"

Suburban Amazon hears the argument and decides to step in "Whats going on Starwoman? Samantha can wear whatever she feels comfortable with."

"But she will set a terrible example for the little girls that idolize us! I thought you were the biggest feminist on the team."

"I am and i know who is setting the bad example here so clean up your attitude or you will be put on another 2 week suspension!"

Samantha gets the idea to start an investigation near the local arena: The University of Santa Cruz stadium.

"Theres a wrestling event going on there and if i remember from my high school years correctly Wallace is a fan of pro wrestling."

Suburban Amazon agreed "Very well Samantha you will take The Human Insect, She-Beast and the Alchemist to find some evidence or Wallace himself at the stadium, Starwoman and i need to talk and Bowregard is working with Dr Day on a counter defense tech that will let us trace the smartphone Wallace has to his parents. Happy Hunting!"

Samantha travels over to the stadium with her 3 teammates for her first large scale crime fighting job since she quit her job at the bank to pursue a career in crime fighting. When the team arrives at the stadium Sam sees a poster that shows the main event at the stadium that night. A one on one title match between the current champion Richter Carson and the queen of the luchadoras JayC. JayC was another one of Samantha's idols when she was a little girl since she used to watch women's wrestling alongside her mother. JayC was her favorite she is an agile and powerful fighter who is a very theatrical performer. She has an over the top outfit that shows off her figure in a similar fashion to Rey Mysterio from the WWE except her outfit is clearly made for a female body. Much like Mysterio she uses a mask to hide her true identity.

Samantha: "Im going to need to conceal my inner fangirl while I'm here, even though JayC is awesome! Don't you think so Human Insect?"

"Well sort of I'm not a fan of the sport."

"Oh by the way what is Starwomans problem with me? I haven't done anything to her."

" You shouldn't take it so personally, Starwoman has had issues with a lot of us over the years. She seems to think that she needs to have this unreasonable feminist attitude towards everyone just so she can look strong when she doesn't need to do that."

Samantha thinks that women like Starwoman should just be themselves without being jerks to other people for the sake of increasing their confidence. Samantha and the rest of the team enter the stadium and see the luchadora JayC practicing inside. Samantha decides to talk to JayC right after she finished training for the match. Samantha is rather excited to meet the woman she idolized as a 10 year old.

"Um hi are you JayC?"

"Si senorita, why are you looking around the stadium with your amigos?"

"I'm sorry JayC but i believe that Wallace Duvall is planning a large scale crime in the stadium with his Villainous Vanguards."

"That must be dangerous amiga, i hope i have the time to help you. I can tell you are one of my fans so can i let you in on a secret?"

"Sure, What is it JayC?" the luchadora takes off her mask and reveals her surprisingly youthful face to Samantha

"Mi llama Jacira Cuaron."

"Wow you have such a lovely face, why do you conceal it behind that mask?"

"I became a wrestler to support my family. I wished to honor the legacy of mi padre Eduardo Cuaron."

"I'm guessing your family didn't take too kindly to you becoming a masked luchadora so you took the identity of JayC so they you wouldn't know it was you huh?"

"Si you seem muy inteligente Miss Crusader."

"Yeah but not smart enough ladies." said a mysterious voice.

"Wallace it's you again isn't it?" said Samantha

"Yep but i am not alone" said Wallace

A large, imposing man with a spiked jacket and biker gear steps in "You picked the wrong ex army man to mess with JayC." said Razorback,

He is a deranged "villain for hire" who was dishonorably discharged from the military for attacking his general. He decided to become a mercenary afterwards where he made a name for himself by killing several big name superheroes before he was hired by Wallace. His actual name is Frederick Leo. Wallace signals to his men and they all armed themselves and prepared for combat, Samantha notices that his left arm is replaced with a cybernetic one.

"I see you've given your body a few improvements Wallace."

"Courtesy of my mother Courtney, Miss Crusader for she is the reason i am who i am."

"She seems like the real bad guy in this situation."

"Well to get to her you have to go through me. But enough talk Sam. Kill them all my minions!"

And just like that the fight is on The Human Insect and The Alchemist decide to take out Wallace's henchmen while JayC decides to team up with She-Beast to take out Razorback who has almost impervious skin and who counters a lot of his opponents attacks due to his enhanced hand-eye coordination making him hard to hit. Samantha and Wallace meanwhile have their rematch with Wallace having the upper hand due to his bionic arm. JayC however switches targets and helps Samantha double team him. Wallace tries to fight back but JayC dodged all of his sword strikes and new arm cannon attacks from his robot arm and she hits him hard with precise strikes and wrestling suplexes . Samantha joins in and performs some double team moves alongside JayC. She-Beast eventually gets frustrated with Razorbacks defenses so she takes the fight outside so she could turn 50 feet tall.

"Whoa didn't know you could do that."

Razorback tries to attack her but his blows seemed ticklish to the 50 foot tall She-Beast. She simply jabs him with her big toe to knock him down and then threatens to stomp on him.

"I suggest you run." said She-Beast

Razorback runs in fear as She-Beast shrinks back down to her usual height and resumed fighting Wallaces henchmen.

"Hey how come you don't turn 50 feet tall more often She-Beast?" said the Alchemist

"Well i only grow bigger on rare occasions because i sometimes cause massive property damage when I'm that huge."

Razorback returns to the fight after all of the henchmen are defeated but after the Alchemists magic blasts, The Human Insects stings, and She-Beasts strength hit both Wallace and Razorback at the same time the Vanguards were defeated. But just when Wallace and Razorback were about to be finished off the Disabler arrives and disables the powers of every Power Patrol member at once.

"Where the hell were you Jenny?!" yelled Wallace

"Sorry i got caught up in traffic, something about a wrestling event going on here."

"Well we had better get out of here. Make no mistake Samantha i still have one final member to recruit, you will die and i will make my mother proud."

Razorback stayed behind and asks an obvious question "What about the wrestling match?"

"Forget about it i want to leave with my body intact thank you very much."

The villains left and the Power Patrol is in disbelief over the ridiculous turn of events. "So what do we do now?" asked She-Beast

"Now let's watch some wrestling matches!" exclaimed the Crusader.

So the Power Patrol watches JayCs match where she defeats Richter and after the match she celebrates her victory with her family.

"Gracias padre, you gave me the strength and the confidence to win the title tonight!"

"I'm so proud to call you my one and only daughter Jacira!" said Eduardo Cuaron.

Samantha looks in awe at JayCs accomplishments smiles and says

"You know what Power Patrol? We are so lucky to live in this town."

The team has a group hug and they all return to the Power Patrol Headquarters.

Several days later. Wallace Duvall is sitting in his fancy office drinking a beer despite the fact that he is only 20 and calling the mayor of Santa Cruz in order to organize an event.

"Well I just thought you would think differently because I have developed a piece of technology that should be able to convince the world that Duvall Industries is to be trusted. Oh well you want to use the tech at the parade next week? Excellent. You have a wonderful morning yourself Madame Mayor."

Wallace hangs up and speaks to an associate of his who he had called into his office for a meeting.

"My rival Sam will absolutely ruin the parade and my chance to control the populace. She will ruin the only chance that I have to make my family proud. So will you bide me some time for me so I can prepare the device for the parade Rosa?"

The woman he is talking to is the final member of the Villainous Vanguards known as Rosa Hindenburg aka Lady Zeppelin. She was an Air Force pilot who was discharged due to her making dirty deals with the Duvall family. As it turns out the Duvall's run a criminal organization and Rosa became Wallace's girlfriend after she was kicked out of the military. She has a jetpack that allows her to fly high above a battlefield as well as a large supply of bombs, incendiary grenades and flash bangs that she uses for explosive aerial attacks.

"I will my sweet little lemon tart, and I know just what I'll do. I will thwart her with a bomb that will spell her certain doom. When she tries to catch me while I fly away in victory she will go boom! I will show those military dregs who's the real bomber in this country love cake!"

"You certainly will. Can I have a smooch of assuredness first though?"

"Of course baby!"

Rosa and Wallace share a romantic kiss and then Rosa flies towards downtown Santa Cruz in order to draw out the Power Patrol. A mere hour later a news report is broadcast as the attention seeking newscaster Kelly Krimson reports on the incident.

"The security footage you see at this moment showcases a villainous vixen who calls herself Lady Zeppelin holding several Iraq war veterans hostage at the Veterans Memorial building in Santa Cruz. While it is difficult to accurately identify the suspect authorities say that her insanity and prejudice towards the US military is an exact match for the dishonorably discharged Air Force pilot Rosa Hindenburg." The Power Patrol sees the news report and The Suburban Amazon decides to come up with a game plan.

"We need to save those US veterans people! Bowregard, Crusader, Starwoman you go and save those vets!"

Starwoman: "Will do Commander! By the way Sam there's something I wanted to tell you."

Samantha: "What would that be?"

"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable last time. To make a long story short I've had some problems dealing with men in the superhero business and I felt that I needed to act like an overbearing feminist to seem strong."

"I forgive you just make sure you know that not everything men do is done for the purpose of forwarding some misogynistic agenda and you will be alright in my book."

Bowregard: "As much as I appreciate these touching moments we don't have time for that now. We have veterans to save!"

Samantha/Starwoman: "We are coming don't worry!"

Lady Zeppelin at that moment is making demands to the police in exchange for the hostages. "All right you yahoos listen well. I have every intention to shoot these veterans where they stand. Killing an army man or two isn't going to mean that much to me but since I'm in a hurry I will give you a list of demands that shall be answered if you desire to save the hostages."

"Well we have demands as well!" said Starwoman "Let those veterans go or you will suffer dire consequences."

Lady Zeppelin just scoffs at her threat and says "I have no reason to listen to you blonde bimbo!"

Then she flies up into the air and teases Starwoman to try and attack her.

"I've had just about enough of this!"

Bowregard finds a good sniping position,

"Samantha get all of the veterans to safety! No one calls me a bimbo!"

Starwoman flies up to engage Lady Zeppelin in combat. Meanwhile Bowregard sets up his compound bow on the rooftops and tries to get a clear shot at Lady Zeppelin. Samantha runs over to the veterans who were being guarded by Wallace's men. She quickly knocks them out and reaches the vets.

"Don't worry the Crusader is here to save you."

"Thanks Cruising Crusader! We thought we were going to die in here! That Zeppelin lady blamed us for the firebombing in Afghanistan would you believe that?"

"It seems today that the military is blamed for a ton of things that aren't the fault of individual soldiers. You guys have suffered enough so lets get out of here!"

Samantha leads the veterans out of the building while carrying the ones who lost their legs during the war. Starwoman shoots particle blast after particle blast at the vile vixen but each one misses.

"Ah! Cupid can you handle this lady?"

Bowregard knew this was her odd nickname for him.

"Ha Ha very funny. Yes I can."

Bowregard shoots an arrow at Lady Zeppelin and she blocks it with some kind of particle shield.

"Nice try Arrow boy! I have some tech that my boy Wallace lent over to me for this mission."

Starwoman: "You're the final mercenary?"

"I sure am Miss Blonde and Brainless!"

Lady Zeppelin shoots Starwoman with an explosive pistol which immediately knocks her out and causes her to fall out of the sky. Samantha manages to catch the falling heroine before her body hits the concrete below.

Bowregard: "Crusader! Is she all right?"

"Yes she's unconscious but alive. Bowregard take her to the Platinum Paladin hospital for some medical attention. Lady Zeppelins mine!"

Bowregard carries Starwoman over to the hospital as Samantha climbs onto a tall building and jumps off of it at just the right moment to catch Lady Zeppelin.

"What are you doing Crusader?!"

Samantha bites her lip which causes her muscles to grow bigger which in turn caused the load that Lady Zeppelin had to carry to get heavier.

"Have you ever heard the term Oh the humanity Zeppelin?"

Zeppelins jetpack starts to short out and she plummets to the ground with the Crusader yelling "Banzai!"

Zeppelin gets up and pulls out her explosive pistol.

"Seems like this is your end Crusader."

She points the gun at Samantha who has her muscles shrink down to their normal size. She pulls out her bo staff and throws it at Lady Zeppelin which knocks the gun out of her hands. The gun fires and destroys the getaway van that she had near the veterans building. Wallace comes in and stops the conflict.

"It seems that even against all of my mercenaries you are nearly impossible to take down. Come on baby lets fly out of here!"

"Right behind you babe!"

Lady Zeppelin flies away while both villains sing the song Love is a Wonderful Thing. Samantha goes out of sight and returns to her apartment where Tammy is waiting. "Hi Tammy I just got caught in traffic while I was getting home. What have you been doing?"

"Watching the news."

A news broadcast was on the TV. Newscaster:

"The US veterans were saved by the Cruising Crusader! Who ever this mysterious woman is we thank her as America is in her debt!"

Tammy: "I wonder who that lady is she is a true hero!"

Samantha: "I don't know but she is downright awesome in my book!"

Samantha smiled and went into her room where she reflected on the days events.


	3. Chapter 3

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 3

Samantha is in a meeting with the Power Patrol listening to a presentation by Dr Sandra Day.

"We have a serious situation going on at the Santa Cruz Gay Pride Parade. Wallace has created an unknown device and placed in one of the floats. Now it is going to be your job to seize the device and apprehend the supplier that created the technology."

Human Insect: "How do you know that there is a supplier who is giving him this technology? He could just be receiving this tech from his mom and dad."

Sandra: "That's an astute question Insect, This tech has none of the trademarks or logos associated with Duvall Industries. So we need to find someone who knows about the device and who supplied him with the resources necessary to make such a device."

At that moment a mysterious woman falls out of a portal that appears over the table. She looks like a Native American with futuristic attire.

She Beast: "Wow! Who the heck is that woman?"

The woman woke up and explains her appearance in the present time.

"I am Thala Shock of the Lakota and i have traveled to your time from the year 2100. I am here to tell you that in my time a woman of unrealistic power and control will take over the state of California with an iron fist and a mind for destruction. She calls herself the Demon of Crime and her name is Ophelia Williams.

Samantha: "Is this Ophelia the person who provided Wallace with the materials for that device at the Gay Pride Rally?"

"Yes she has also created a cybernetic exoskeleton that she replaced her normal exoskeleton with so that the healing fibers and lifetime extending gems that she developed inside of the exoskeleton would give her everlasting life."

Amazon: Well it looks like i'm going to have to stop hanging around here and start fighting crime again. She-Beast, Crusader, Insect and Alchemist you will come with me."

Crusader: "Thala you should come with us too we will need some more intelligence once we get inside of the parade."

Thala: You got it. What are you planning to do?

Crusader: The planning is up to the Amazon.

The Amazon creates a sketch of the parade and talks to her troops

"Okay so apparently Bowregard has suspicions about the Gay Pride Parade so he was patrolling around when he saw this heavy set Black woman with a weird looking weave."

Thala: That's Ophelia!

Alchemist: What Intel did Bowregard uncover?

Amazon: He had his audio recorder with him and he heard this conversation between Ophelia and our dear friend Wallace when he snuck into Ophelia's hideout.

She turns on the audio recording.

Ophelia: "This is a tough job, normally I'd talk y'all out of it but you guys have got something special. You whiteys are some real artists."

Wallace: "I always impress my clients and my associates. My family needs the materials for the persuasion device so do you have the puranium?"

"Yes I do. Y'all be careful with that it's nasty stuff if used incorrectly."

"I will, trust me. You know maybe we should do business more often Miss Demon."

The audio tape ends.

Sandra: The puranium is a rare metal used currently for creating unmanned drones for the US military so I'm betting my money on the device being on the biggest float in the parade. I will stay here and analyze Starwomans injuries."

Amazon: "All right then lets get moving!"

The Power Patrol arrives at the Gay Pride Parade and Samantha immediately noticed that a ton of the LGBT community is in attendance for the festivities. She is fine with the LGBT community and she liked the fact that same sex marriage is now legal but she knew that the Duvall family is quite homophobic.

"Racism, Classism, Homophobia what's next Wallace?"

The Power Patrol decides to watch some of the floats while they search for Ophelia and Wallace. When the largest float is in view Wallace and his Villainous Vanguards show up.

"Salutations my freaks of nature! You people are messing with the true order of our everyday lives. You people disgust me with your same sex relationships and your gender switches!"

The crowd boos Wallace and he has a death glare on his face when he says the sentence that shocked the world.

"Oh so you Gay's don't like that eh? Well Zeppelin show them what happens when you mess with a Duvall!"

Lady Zeppelin flies up into the sky and throws incendiary grenades all over the place causing the civilians to evacuate the premises. The Power Patrol thrust themselves into action. The Suburban Amazon fights on all of Wallace's henchmen herself. One of them tries to hit her with a baseball bat but she was so durable that the bat breaks when it hit her without hurting her at all. Another thug tries to punch her in the stomach and he ends up breaking his hand. She makes quick work of the thugs knocking them out with one punch or kick each.

The Alchemist is able to use his telekinesis to defeat Razorback with ease and the Human Insect disables the Disablers arms do that she can't use her gloves at all. She Beast is able to grow 50 feet tall so she simply grabs Lady Zeppelin out of the air.

"Oh how cute a Lady Zeppelin doll! I always wanted one!"

Lady Zeppelin is getting tired of She Beasts mocking and she shoots She Beast with her explosive pistol but that only tickles her.

"Ha Ha Ha! You are so out of here!"

She Beast throws her away which caused Lady Zeppelin to fly wildly out of control and crash into a building. Wallace likewise is easily defeated by the Cruising Crusader who studies Wallace's attack pattern so well to the point where she could fight him in her sleep.

"Just give up Wallace! Your Vanguards are already down and out!"

"Hold on Samantha I have one last trick up my sleeve!"

Some of Ophelia's criminal friends show up with their own power disabling gloves and they depower all of the heroes.

Wallace: "Thank god you guys showed up! I was about to get crushed by Ms bodybuilder here!"

Then out of nowhere comes Ophelia Williams who quickly grabs Thala who was hiding in a booth the whole time during the fight.

"I'm the one who has to clean up your trash eh Wallace?"

"I suppose so Ophelia."

"So what should we do about them?"

"Take them over to your hideout in Gilroy, for inspection then take them over to Duvall Industries. I have some unfinished business with these Heroes and I will not stop until my family makes me the rightful heir to their fortune."

After getting captured by the Villainous Vanguards and Ophelia Williams the Power Patrol members, Alchemist, She-Beast, Human Insect, Suburban Amazon and the Cruising Crusader herself find themselves locked up inside Wallace's office along with their companion Thala Shock which is naturally adorned with several Silver and Gold crafted tables and chairs, A full mini bar with several delicacies that only the richest of the rich can afford and even Platinum encrusted light fixtures.

She-Beast: "This is complete bull! Why do we have to be in this guys office and do what his heart desires?"

Samantha: "I understand your frustration She-Beast but we must think of a way to get out of this predicament like real Heroes do!"

Wallace walks into the room with his mother Courtney Duvall, she is a middle aged woman with white hair who looks like Julianne Moore.

Courtney: "Samantha Cruz, I have heard so much about you and your Power Patrol. It's a shame that my son had to try 5 times to capture a young woman who just acquired her powers a few weeks ago!"

Wallace: "I'm sorry mom I underestimated her."

Courtney: "Save it for later son."

Amazon: "Courtney what is all of this about?"

Courtney: "That's an astute question. I was just going to kill all of you on camera for delaying the syndicate I run from taking over the city but I figured I could exploit you more if all of you were alive."

Samantha: "You figured out a way to use us to make money huh?"

Courtney: "Yep, smart Lady. I opened up a living history theme park that will bring the Superhuman Suppression Initiative era to life!"

Samantha is horrified. The Superhuman Suppression Initiative was a bill that the United States Government enacted during the Reagan years that essentially turned all Superhuman individuals into slaves who were segregated from normal civilian bathrooms, restaurants and even schools. It was just like the pre civil rights era in America for superheros.

Samantha: You're forcing Superhuman individuals to reenact the most painful period of our history?"

Courtney: "With a merry go round and some cotton candy! Anyway Samantha its not just superheros. I'm progressive enough to force all of the captured people at my disposal to reenact your painful past. If they owe me money of course."

Wallace: "And if you were wondering what that device at the parade was for its a persuasion device. It's going to alter the minds of the people who enter the park and make them entirely obedient to our orders. They won't question a single thing they see!"

Thala: "I doubt it. Why didn't it work at the Gay Pride Parade?"

Wallace: "The device wasn't fully operational we didn't have enough puranium at the time. But now that we do I believe that this park will work perfectly!"

Courtney: "It had better work or I'm going to disown you boy!"

Wallace: "Yes mom it will go according to plan. Ophelia send Thala over to the non super powered cells and send the rest of the superheros to the park. They have a very long day to look forward to."

Ophelia: "Whatever you say pal!"

Ophelia tells her men to send the Power Patrol over to the theme park known as Powerland. It is a 1980s style theme park that was clearly designed to benefit the rich patrons and to oppress every superhero in a similar fashion to the Jim Crow laws in the 1800s. Each transportable cell has power dampeners that are also powered by puranium. They shrink the muscles of Samantha which is rather depressing for her. She only shrinks her muscles down when she was required to return to her nerdy persona. Every superhero has their powers sapped even Suburban Amazon. While her muscles were acquired naturally through extensive exercise her powers were amplified further by her armor which has its effects negated due to the power dampeners. Thala on the other hand is getting jostled around by her captors when she is sent to her separate cell.

Guard 1: "Boy you ladies can take beating can't you?"

The guards start to beat Thala up and one of them slaps her in the face. Suddenly the guard recoiled in pain.

Guard 2: "What happened bro?"

Guard 1: "I don't know. I feel like I was slapped in the face for some reason."

Guard 2: "You're gonna pay for that!"

The second guard kicks Thala in the stomach and in a few seconds the second guard felt an enormous amount of pain in his stomach and he keeled over.

Thala: "I guess I forgot to tell you that I have a power inside of me too. If you hit me I'll still get injured but so will you. You can call me Feedback!"

Thala punches the two guards in the face and steals the keys from the second guard.

Thala: "All right Thala you need to get to the rest of the Power Patrol and tell them the bad news. Hopefully they won't kill me! Why am I talking to myself?"

The next day the Power Patrol witnesses the effects of the persuasion device. The patrons who come into the park turn into mindless drones who can't think of anything. They can't criticize the obviously offensive and derogatory nature of Powerland and they all only have one mindset. Powerland is perfect, persecute and destroy all opposition.

Alchemist: "What kind of job is this? We're dressed up as slaves!"

Samantha: "We are slaves Alchemist"

Amazon: "I suppose this is the time when we hatch a plan to get out of here right?"

Samantha: "Yeah. I'll need a little time to think over it but we need to burn this place down."

Suddenly Ophelia shows up dressed as a slave master right out of the Antebellum south.

Ophelia: "Y'all don't even think about escaping! You have no chance. Welcome to Powerland you absolute idiots! This shall be your orientation."

Samantha: "Ophelia this is preposterous. You're expecting us to act like slaves and to just be cool with this situation? Really?!"

Ophelia: "Yes Crusader that is exactly what I am expecting. Here you will learn to look down when a rich man or woman looks your way, buck dance if you hear anything resembling a tune and denounce any feelings that resemble self esteem and or self worth."

Samantha: "Not on your life Ophelia!"

She-Beast: "Yeah we're not falling for this! First rich man or woman I see I'm going to tell them to suck my..."

Ophelia pulls out an electric whip and starts swinging it at She Beast.

"I'm not saying anything. You can call me Hilton, Toby, Kardashian I won't care."

Ophelia: "That's right She Beast. Now there will be a short boot camp to make sure you sub humans are limber and you don't suffer massive heart attacks."

Alchemist: "Ophelia you must have lost your mind!"

Ophelia swings the whip at Alchemist to shut him up.

Ophelia: "The sound of this whip sure is sweet. It's like my father gently snapping his fingertips. Now Alchemist, Human Insect and Suburban Amazon you have good superhero names so I will leave your names be. But you two have aggressive names as such they will be changed. Crusader you are now Imbecile 1 or 1 for short, She-Beast your name is Imbecile 2 or 2 for short. 2! Chuck that bale of hay over to my horse who I have affectionately named Clarabelle."

She-Beast: "Oh Clarabelles gonna die today. Cause she ain't getting Jack!"

Ophelia: "1! Get Clarabelle some carrots!"

Samantha didn't listen she just glares at Ophelia intensely.

Ophelia: " Uh oh. Imbecile if you defy me..."

Alchemist: "Samantha you better listen to that fool before she hits you with that whip!"

Crusader: "Alchemist I'm no ones property. Neither are you."

Ophelia: "Didn't you see the team surrendering to Wallace? We own you. Human Insect!"

Human Insect: "Yes"

Ophelia: "My name in the supervillain world is not Ophelia its The Boss!"

Ophelia swings the whip at Human Insect causing her to recoil in fear.

Ophelia looks at Samantha who is still glaring at her "You think you're tough huh? Well we have ways of dealing with your type."

Samantha is escorted over to a stage nearby where she thinks to herself

"In modern America why would people be entertained by slaves? We're all under Wallace's thumb. I need to find a way out of here!"

Ophelia is up on the stage where she is entertaining the crowd watching from above

"Hey rich guests of Powerland make some noise if you love waterboarding!"

The crowd cheers

"I hope you all enjoyed the Superhuman extinction exhibit! We even have real Superhuman kids at the gift shop. Use them as your servants if you like. See the Concierge on your way out. Now I have a very special surprise for all of you. Today we are debuting a special interactive game! Does everyone love power dampeners? I know its not the 1980s but its just so much fun!"

Samantha was brought out to the crowd locked in chains as her strength starts to return and her muscles grew back!

Ophelia: "I guess we have to hurry up! Now if you reach under your chairs you will find power disabling gloves!"

The brainwashed children grab the gloves and quickly put them on.

"Ready aim fire!"

The kids shoot a beam out of the gloves that disables the Cruising Crusaders powers again! She also writhes in pain due to the gloves applying pressure to her pressure points. Luckily the Amazon breaks out of the cage she was in by stealing a key and she runs over to the stage with the rest of the Power Patrol in hot pursuit.

"That's enough! Our slaveship is over! You kids better put those gloves down or I will whip your narrow behinds!"

The Power Patrol break Samantha's chains and she collapses due to the pain she is feeling. She can barely stand up.

"Samantha are you alright?"

"I won't resist Ophelia ever again Amazon."

"You're not going to be required to do that. Let's go home."

The team carries the injured Samantha over to the exit of the park where Wallace is waiting with at least a dozen security guards.

"Where do you idiots think you're going?"

Amazon: We are leaving this place. The park is closed."

"Oh you don't get it. This is your home. Seriously you morons live here now."

The team looks at the guards in fear as they are forcefully taken back to their holding cells.

Will the Power Patrol ever escape Powerland? Will Thala Shock be able to get the other members of the Power Patrol to help organize a rebellion? Tune in next time!


	4. Chapter 4

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 4

Thala Shock sprints all the way from the prison over to the Power Patrol headquarters she feels insanely tired naturally because she just ran over 10 miles from the prison near Powerland to the headquarters. Sandra Day, Bowregard and a fully healed Starwoman are there and they feel rather concerned that the rest of their team hasn't attended a meeting in a week. They are wondering where Suburban Amazon and the rest of the Power Patrol were this whole time. Thala finally walked inside of the headquarters and she tells the three heroes what happened even though she is out of breath.

Thala: "Guys... The other... Heroes... Are captured... In a slavery theme park."

Starwoman: "A slavery theme park? Oh hell no! This wealthy businessman is going down! I'm going to kill him!"

Bowregard: "Wait a second, how are we supposed to know that she's telling the truth?"

Bowregard pins Thala to the wall and points an arrow at her face "Now you better tell me the truth or this arrow will go right in your eye!"

Thala is terrified and she is so tired and so scared that she could only muster a small whimper.

Sandra: "Bowregard knock it off! Look at her she's going to go insane! It's clear that she had to run for miles on end to get here so I think if you just let her go and gave her a chance to rest she might be able to give us a clear explanation."

Bowregard agrees with her. After he lets Thala go and gives Thala an energy pill that was developed by Sandra to restore a person's energy quickly Thala is able to explain how Wallace placed the superheros in Powerland and how she is planning to infiltrate the park to save all of the superheros inside.

Thala: "So we need to sneak inside and plan a Rebellion in order to save the Power Patrol. Samantha probably knows the park inside and out so we will find her and get the Intel from her."

Starwoman: "I'll fly you over to the park gates and after that we will have to get to the cells without our powers. Those dampeners must be debilitating. I will kill Wallace when this is over though."

Thala: "That's unnecessary you can't just kill the guy! He might be following his mother's orders against his will!"

Starwoman: "If we don't kill him he will keep on commiting these atrocities."

Thala: "Lets just go to the park."

Meanwhile Ophelia is taking the Power Patrol to their cells

Ophelia: "Yes! Welcome home Slaves!"

Amazon: "Ophelia this is insane! You can't keep us here!"

Ophelia: "Well it seems to me that I can do what ever I want to slave. Hm slave what a joyous feeling that is just to say that word. It's like saying love or Huey P Newton."

Human Insect: "People don't actually live here do they?"

Ophelia: "People no. Wallace's slaves yes. It's not as bad as Birmingham in the 60s though. This is more like an NFL training camp. See those slaves over there?"

The heroes see a bunch of other superheros picking cotton.

Ophelia: "Oh look at their bodies growing in strength! This shall purify a Superhumans body and soul."

Human Insect: Well how can that be good for them?"

Ophelia: "Well the cotton is organic"

She-Beast catches a glimpse of other superheros being used as practice dummies for Wallaces mercenaries.

She-Beast: "What the?"

Ophelia: "Oh yes the sound of superheros yelling in pain is so satisfying after a good shot with a stun gun or electric baton!"

Alchemist: "Ophelia I'd hate to break my character and this historical period world you are portraying but there are documents such as the Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation and they specifically forbid indentured servitude against our will!"

Ophelia: "Well I suppose you are right. I could let you go or I could do this!"

She grabs Alchemist and has her men grab the other patrolers and they throw all of them in their cells. Ophelia leaves to get some sleep while Samantha talked to the patrolers.

Samantha: "If we want our freedom we need to take it."

She-Beast: "How are we supposed to do that?"

Samantha: "By any means necessary."

She-Beast: "I'm not trying to die Sam"

Samantha: "Well this isn't living is it? I'd rather die in battle than have my powers taken from me ever again."

Human Insect: "This is all your fault Samantha! If you were never his rival in high school Wallace never would have enslaved us!"

Amazon: "Insect stop griping. You have connections on the outside. You could call one of your friends and get yourself out."

Human Insect: "Call?! Did you say call? I'm sorry but in case you didn't notice Wallace didn't provide me with a phone! (Sigh) Sorry what I meant to say is were in this together and I will not be free until we're all free!"

She-Beast: "I'm ready to bust out of here Sam. I know you have a plan. You always have one."

Samantha: "I do but its going to be risky. We might not make it out alive but if a man or a woman doesn't have something worth dying for what's the point of living?"

She-Beast: "Your plan ends with us living right?"

Samantha: "Yeah, hopefully."

She-Beast: "Good cause I was going to say you are on your own if it didn't. What's the plan?"

Samantha was let out of her cage by Starwoman who sneaks into the park as she said she would. After that Samantha leads the superheros out to a field where they plot the escape. She draws a map of the park and assigns each Power Patroler a job to take out certain targets in the park. Then she makes a speech.

"Every organization against prejudice in US history has been created because oppressed civilians were not afraid to fight. If we don't fight they will think its OK to destroy everything! Our self worth, our morality our powers! I'm not giving up my mind to anyone for any price! So who's with me?"

Random Superhero: "Yeah! That woman has a point lets revolt!"

The heroes agree with the plan and sneak back to their cages. The next day Wallace is in an official meeting with his shareholders.

Wallace: "Greetings shareholders. Powerland has paid handsome dividends I have gathered you together as it would give me great pleasure if we decided to thusly branch out."

Shareholder 1: "Can you not talk like that? It makes these meetings go on too long and my boys got swimming tonight."

Wallace: "Basically lets expand this Powerland thing its a cash cow! But we are experiencing some minor obstacles. There are some staffer slaves who don't see the fun in Powerland."

Shareholder 2: "Murder them!"

Wallace: "We tried that already and we had to go to court. We don't need litigation we need something that makes us look good. Something that entertains the masses and keeps those heroes working."

Shareholder 3: "It seems like you're talking about preemptive settlement."

Wallace: "Exactly"

Samantha is brought into the room in chains while the shareholders leave.

Wallace: "So what do you want? A years supply of branded clothing?"

Samantha: "No."

Wallace: "Your pick of our beautiful men?"

Samantha: "No."

Wallace: "Work with me. I'm trying to come to an honest agreement with you. Okay 40 acres and a donkey come on 40 acres that's a lot of land"

Samantha: "You and I both know we will never see it."

Wallace: "I like your defiance even though it's misplaced Crusader. Look these heroes here were practically slaves indebted to me before they became slaves here. This isn't that bad when it comes down to the nitty gritty. By the way your scowl isn't helping."

Samantha: "How can you live with yourself? How much money does it take for a man to lose his conscience? No fear no doubt just greed!"

Wallace: "Wow you're a downer. You should really consider pilates or yoga... Whatever. Stop being a freedom fighter and I'll give your Power Patrol some nice cushy jobs you know ones where they have no actual power but your people are happy because they get paychecks and nice offices."

Samantha: "I'll have to pass how much money does it take for a man to have the whole world at his fingertips but to lose his soul while doing it?"

Samantha is escorted out of the room. Wallace is so enraged that he orders Samantha to be punished in a different, more excruciating way than normal. She has her hands tied up above her head on a platform as soon as she is taken back to the park as Razorback walks up on stage to get the brainwashed crowd excited.

Razorback: "Step right up and take your chance to break the angry slave who cannot be broken!(Crowd Cheers) Okay simmer down there will be enough for everyone. This woman isn't giving in so its another step up the humiliation ladder! Tar and feathers!"

Wallace walks on stage with his katana.

Wallace: "Hold it. I've got a better idea. Let me have her. These people want historical accuracy so I'll give it to them. When I cut off her foot she won't go anywhere!"

Wallace swings his katana but at that moment Samantha jumps up flips around and kicks Wallace's face knocking him down. Human Insect runs up to the stage out of her hiding place grabs Wallace's katana and slashes the ropes restraining Samantha and then she stabs the control panel next to her to shut off the Power dampeners.

"All right! We have our powers back!"

The persuasion devices are also disabled causing the civilians to come to their senses. The heroes who were in the cages then finally break out of them and start the Rebellion! Even Starwoman, Bowregard and Sandra come in to fight. Wallace sends in his Villainous Vanguards and his security guards against the heroes and a brawl breaks out between them. Sandra avoids the fight and goes inside the electrical control room. She overloads the room with electricity which causes the room and all of the rides to explode. Samantha then fights against the Vanguards. She finally gets her muscles to grow back and therefore she is able to knock each Vanguard out in a 3 to 1 battle. She vaults off of Razorback to kick Lady Zeppelin, avoids Disablers power sapping gloves and elbows her in the face, roundhouse kicks Razorback and she finishes them off with a Superman punch to both Disabler and Lady Zeppelin. Ophelia picks Wallace up and says:

"Mr Duvall this is worse than what happened in the Planet of the Apes!"

"Get me out of here Ophelia!"

"Watch your step sir. Gentle! Baby steps!"

Ophelia has to be careful as Wallace is badly wounded. Samantha leads everyone outside of the park where she makes one last speech.

"For the moment the heroes won but for how long? How long before Wallace finds another way to make a buck off of our history? But maybe because of what has happened on this day the people will see that the Duvall family doesn't have their best interests at heart!"

The people around her cheer and exclaim positivity in a massive celebration. Powerland is out of business and destroyed and the Duvall's are losing money fast.

Amazon: "Hey how did we do Crusader?"

Cruising Crusader "You all did great as always."

Amazon: "Okay Power Patrol lets go home!"

Courtney Duvall suddenly appears behind Samantha right after she reprimands Wallace.

"Boy you heroes don't know a good thing when you see it. Here we Duvall's out of the warmth in our hearts were going to give you free housing, food and a job everything a person could want. Tell me you ungrateful whelp. What could ever be greater than Powerland?"

Samantha walks up to Courtney and said the word that meant nothing to Courtney but everything to her

"Freedom."

Samantha was sitting around the Power Patrol headquarters with nothing to do until Starwoman showed up and engaged a conversation with her.

"Hi Sam. I still think we should have killed Wallace. I just think that he is so far down the deep end and so unsalvageable that it seemed like the only viable option."

"Sorry Starwoman. I don't kill. It's not the way i handle things."

"Why is that? I've killed before. Even then i only kill when i know that if i don't the criminal would just escape from prison and end more innocent lives. In other words i only kill to defend the lives of innocent people."

"Well the reason why is because of something that happened when i was a kid. 4 years old to be exact. My mom and dad and my big brother had to deal with 2 women that they should have dealt with back then but they didn't." "I won't tell anyone this story if you don't want me to. I can tell that it upsets you."

"Don't worry i will tell you."

It was the year 1997 and Samantha Cruz was just a 4 year old child who was slow to speak. She hadn't said a single word since she was born. She was playing around the garage that belonged to the Cruz family. Adam Cruz, her white father who was having a hard time finding a job and was going through a financial crisis, Isabella Cruz, her hispanic mother who had a Bachelors degree in Communications which she used for a job at the local radio station where she was the host of a salsa dance radio show and her 12 year old half hispanic brother Michael who at that point was mixing together chemicals and trying to make a certain compound that was supposedly made for a chemistry project. Adam entered the garage

"Boy what the hell are you doing in here?"

"I told you that I'm working with very unstable materials. It would help if you would knock."

"It would help me if you tell me what you are making

"I told you that i have to work on a chemistry project."

"Are you sure this is just a chemistry project and that you're not making bombs?"

"Yes father i swear those compounds aren't bombs they're vats of... medical gel! I thought that i would win the science fair scholarship with this!"

"Good. About time that you applied yourself. Now i have a meeting with a financial planner and you're both coming with me and your mother."

"Why do we have to go?"

"Now that our situation has changed we need to start thinking about how to keep our finances in check. All of us."

The family drove over to the financial planner where Adam and Isabella got some bad news.

Financial Planner: "I'm going to give it to you straight. According to this all of your credit cards are maxed out, you're broke, you have zilch, zip, zero dollars. I say that you and your kids have about 6 months until you're homeless and starving. You spent a lot on cable, house repairs, and restaurants."

Isabella: "I don't go to restaurants, thats Adam hanging out with his amigos after searching for work!"

Financial Planner: "Well i wonder. Do you have any friends who traffic in drugs, or any kidneys that you can sell? Is there any way that you can get some quick money?"

Adam: "Im sorry we don't"

Later that night Adam was planning to go out drinking with his friends with Isabella trying to talk him out of it

"You heard that man, Adam we don't have the money to support you drinking with your buddies!"

"Everything's fine. It's not that bad. It's just one beer for tonight."

"Michael! Your father is going to get drunk again!"

Adam: "I'm out of Scar-B-Gone! I might still have time to run to the store."

Adam had a scar on his forehead which he got by taking a empty beer bottle to the face.

Isabella: "No way Adam. We don't have the money to pay for that."

Adam decided to use the gel that Michael was making in order to heal his scar.

"Ahh. Pretty boy. Player. [Cellphone vibrates, rings][Cellphone beeps] Hey, buddies. Sorry for the late , uh, corner office was packed full of meetings Um, anyway, you all set for tonight? Where you want to go? Mr Blutos? Well I'm sort of a lightweight. Hey. Here's an idea. Why don't we skip the fancy drinking and just do something free? You know, like watch a movie on basic cable, pop some popcorn, make some ramen noodles! Well, you see, to be honest, I'm a little short on cash."

His friends hang up and Adam decided to go to bed. When he woke up he realized that his scar was completely gone! He called his friends over who also had injuries and when they tried the gel they were healed as well!

Isabella: "I'm so happy for you, Adam! This is gonna revolutionize medical care forever. You're sitting on a gold mine!"

Adam: "So whats the plan? How do we get paid?"

Isabella: Now, now. There's a lot that has to be done before you can bring something like this to market. You need a business plan, lawyers, distribution. How much more of this stuff do you have?

Adam: "Not sure I've got to find Michael"

Michael: Hey, Dad.

Have you seen that container of pink gel I was making?

Adam: Hey Michael how much more of that medical gel do you have?

Michael: Dad you didn't!

Adam:This gel you made is way more than just medical gel. It heals injuries overnight!

Michael: It does what?

Adam: It heals all injuries!

Michael: Dad that was a highly explosive compound for a bomb.

Adam: A bomb?! But you told me it wasn't a bomb.

You specifically said it was not a bomb!

Michael: You got to wash that out right now all of you.

Adam: Damn it, boy, why do you have to ruin everything? What are you making bombs for?

Michael: To kill our homeowner and earn our freedom back!

Adam: That's your plan? You know, for a smart guy, you come up with some dumb-ass plans. So how much of this gel do you have?

Michael: Quite a bit. Why do you ask?

Adam: I'm selling it. Michael: "No!"

Michael tried to reason with his dad to no avail.

Adam: Get off me! I need it! I need it! Don't you see, Michael? This this is our freedom.

Samantha: "Michael agreed to help Adam find a buyer if he washed the gel out of his face. We went over to a woman named Sierra, she owned a medical clinic in Orange County though i started to suspect her operation might not be completely legit."

Sierra: "This is a tough business. Normally, I try to talk people out of it, but you guys you got something special, very special. This isn't just medical gel. This is art. You guys are some real artists. We used your gel on the left half of the broken skin of my colleague Sienna."

Sienna had broken and parched skin on her right side and fully healed skin on her left side.

Isabella: "So, I can presume you're interested in placing an order, Ms. Sierra?"

"Boss Sierra"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a businesswoman, Ms Cruz An African-American entrepreneur. You don't think I've earned the right to be called Boss?"

Isabella: "Huh? I mean, yes, of course. You're the boss"

Sienna ended up giving Adam a bag of money that had at least 100,000 dollars inside.

Adam: "All right!"

Sierra: "I'll take all of it! What ever you have!"

Michael: "Boss Sierra, could I advise my father briefly? We need to get up out of here dad.

Adam: "Leave why?"

Michael: "Cause they're gangsters."

Adam: "Gangsters? Thats ridiculous."

Sierra: "I assure you our operation is entirely legitimate."

Michael: "Boss Sierra there's something you should know about this stuff. (Pause) Boss Sierra, this stuff is dangerous. It's a highly explosive compound. Nobody should ever, ever put this in their bodies!"

Adam: "Damn it, boy. I'm gonna beat your ass when we get home."

Sierra: "Explosive? You think those bitches out there care about a little fire?"

Michael: "So i take it that you are interested?"

Sierra: "Yep these idiots would put napalm in their bodies if it healed their wounds."

Samantha: "So the gel sold like wildfire but things quickly took a turn for the worst when we got a news report."

Adam: "So, you're just gonna sit there and not help?"

Isabella: That's okay. He just doesn't get any of this money.

Adam: "I understand, Michael. So many bad things have happened to us. It's hard not to assume the worst. But don't you see? This time, it's different. This time, everything's gonna work out perfectly."

Michael turned on the news

"Next on channel 11 news Could you have a bomb in your body? We'll tell you which popular medical product contains a dangerously explosive chemical."

Adam: "You think they mean us?"

Newscaster: "The trouble started when two women attempted to board a plane and were stopped after explosives were detected on their person. Florida Jackson and Theresa Brown were detained for several hours before it was finally discovered that their ribs Or more precisely, their gelled up ribs were the culprit."

"The ironically named Bomb Medical Gel is the hottest-selling on the market, but experts claim a single jar contains enough high explosives to destroy a small plane or a prius. Channel 11 obtained a sample of the gel and placed it in the wig you see on this mannequin."

The mannequin exploded as soon as a spark was placed on the wig.

"You can see for yourself the massive destructive power of this product.

Right Like Bright Medicinal Supplies, which said it had sold out of the product, claimed it would not be ordering any more but refused to disclose the name of the manufacturer. Meanwhile, authorities are urging people who bought the product to call the police and their local bomb squad will properly dispose of the gel. This afternoon, the state legislature held an emergency session to make sale or possession of the gel a terrorist offense, punishable by torture, indefinite endition, and execution by drone strike. And they'll deserve it. Tim, back to you."

Adam: "Does this mean we can't make any more money?"

Isabella: "No we will make more and we will sell to another person."

Michael: "Even if you could get the ingredients, you mix that stuff the wrong way, you'll blow up the whole house with us in it."

Isabella: "Richter Belmont owns this house. I don't care."

Isabella started to mix the chemicals that were in Michaels room to make the gel

Michael: "No! Stop!" Isabella: "You can either help us or watch me blow everything up!"

Michael: "You two have to follow my instructions exactly."

Adam and Isabella: "Okay"

Michael: "And we can't do it here. We need to set up somewhere nobody will find it."

Samantha: "The family headed over to Gilroy and set up their lab near a garlic field. They didn't know what was waiting for them"

Adam: "Ew. Couldn't you have gotten something nicer? "

Isabella: "We're not taking it to a car show. We're cooking medical gel. Will this work?"

Michael: "Yeah it will work."

Samantha: "Isabella followed Michaels instructions and they were able to make some gel. But suddenly Sierra and Sienna showed up and they were not happy."

Adam: "What the? How did you find us?"

Sierra: "Well i put a gps microscanner in your shirt. You never should have sold that stuff to me. The cops know too much now! So, this is where you make it? Smart. Nobody will ever find this. And everything you need is right in there, huh? [Guns cock] (Guns fire)"

Samantha: "Those monsters shot my dad right in front of me. Thats when i finally said my first word."

Young Samantha: "Daddy!"

Samantha: "Michael was able to run away with my mom Isabella while those two finished my father off by stealing one of their motorcycles. I cried my eyes out but Michael and my mom wouldn't let me go. I have searched all over California but those animals were nowhere to be found."

Starwoman: "So thats why you became a hero huh? To save other people from the same fate as your father?"

Samantha: "Yeah"

Starwoman: "Then please accept my humble apology. I promise we will find those two criminals someday and make them pay. One more thing. When you can be muscular, beautiful, heroic and respected 24/7 as the Cruising Crusader why do you transform back into your Samantha Cruz form at all?"

Samantha: "Well when I'm Sam I may not be the prettiest or strongest lady around but I get to live the life of a normal woman. I just like having a chance to settle down and have a private life all to myself."

Starwoman: "I guess that makes sense. I was thinking of settling down myself sometime in the future. Being a superheroine is a tough job but someone has got to do it."

Samantha: "I'm just glad that I have amigas like you to work with."

They both hug and leave the room that they were talking in.


	5. Chapter 5

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 5

Wallace: This is preposterous. I'm your son mother! You can't disown me!

Courtney: I already did. Your father and I are very disappointed in you. Powerlands destruction cost us millions of dollars and it is entirely your fault! You can kiss your part of the family fortune goodbye!"

Courtney Duvall throws Wallace out of the family Mansion that is located just outside of Santa Cruz and slams the door right in his face. Wallace is rather belligerent afterwards. His only purpose in his eyes is to make his parents happy so after he witnesses his mother essentially kick him out of the family he naturally feels devastated though he tries to hide his depression with his arrogant persona. He calls the Villainous Vanguards over to his laboratory which is built outside of the Duvall estate to discuss one more plan to defeat the Power Patrol.

Wallace: We're just going to keep doing what we have been doing this whole time and with this equalizer nothing will stop us!"

He points at a 50 foot tall mech that looks like it comes straight out of Pacific Rim as it comes complete with a neon color scheme, laser cannons and large blades on its elbows and knees. However the Vanguards are not impressed in fact, Lady Zeppelin decides to speak up on behalf of the others.

Lady Zeppelin: Listen lovecake I think I speak for everyone when I say that you have gone too far when it comes to catching Samantha and her Power Patrol. You come across as narcissistic, destructive, ridiculously egocentric and you have wasted your family's money. Do you even have a job?"

Wallace: What are you saying honey?"

Lady Zeppelin: Don't call me honey first of all, second of all I'm saying that I quit! You need psychiatric assistance rather than another way for you to flex your ego. I'm also breaking up with you so you better walk out that door and turn around cause you're not welcome anymore!"

Wallace: It's my lab Rosa."

Lady Zeppelin: Oh well I just wanted to make the I Will Survive reference."

Disabler: I quit as well. Wallace you are one of the most uncouth rapscallions that I have come across!"

Razorback: Kid. You're trouble. I'm quitting as well."

Wallace is in disbelief all of the Vanguards that gave him a chance of defeating Samantha are leaving him in the blink of an eye, he feels even more despair than ever before and his default reaction is to once again react in anger.

Wallace: Fine leave! I don't need you dumbasses anyway! With friends like you who needs enemies!"

Wallace becomes so angry that he goes over to his chemical cabinet and intentionally causes every test tube and container of chemicals to fall on top of him which causes his body to hideously mutate. His skin turns bright red, his skeleton reassembles itself into a more brawny form and his voice deepens tremendously at the event.

Wallace: Well I think it's time to pay father a visit."

Meanwhile at the Power Patrol headquarters the superheros are hanging around since supervillain activity is at an all time low since Powerland was destroyed.

All of the super criminals basically figured out that if the Power Patrol could take down an entire theme park full of super villains then they had no chance in hell to even think of going for any large scale crimes.

Lady Zeppelin, Razorback and Disabler along with Ophelia show up at the front door and walk in.

Suburban Amazon: What the hell are you doing here?! Patrolers Assemble!"

The Power Patrol gets up and they prepare for a fight.

Ophelia: Drop your weapons and calm down! We are not here to battle we are here to surrender. I'm sorry for assisting Wallace. He has proven himself to be a narcissistic madman who only wishes to kill and slaughter everyone in his path. We wish to reform ourselves so we can be full fledged members of society. I previously wished that I knew who I should give my loyalty to. But little did I know that the right person was looking me in the eyes the whole time."

She points at Dr Sandra Day and she in walks towards her.

Ophelia: Why couldn't things be simpler? Why couldn't I just express myself in the way I wanted to? I became a criminal because I didn't think society would accept me for who I am but now I know at least one woman who will. The one woman I have loved since College, the one who willingly went to a ladies club with me and one who is the brains to my brawn even to this day."

Ophelia gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring.

Ophelia: Sandra Day, will you marry me?"

Sandra is in shock. She knew Ophelia back when they were both in college and when Ophelia was a social outcast due to her sexuality. Sandra was secretly a lesbian too but she stayed in the closet to avoid discrimination. But now that Ophelia revealed her sexuality to the Power Patrol she remembers all of the fun times they had when they were dating without Ophelia's tormentors knowing. She remembers how Ophelia wasn't a bad girl, deep down she just wanted to be loved by her. Due to the proverbial tornado of emotions going on inside of her she can't help herself. She cries tears of joy and says

"Oh yes Ophelia! I love you so much!"

She hugs Ophelia who is also crying tears of joy. The Hero's and villains clap in elation. Thala Shock who is also in attendance decides to speak up.

Thala: "So you're not an evil Cyborg lady with eternal life that was going to slaughter my family and enslave my people?'

Ophelia: "Hell no! Why would you think that I would do any of that stuff?"

Thala: "I guess I mistook you for another Black woman from my future. I'll head back to my time when this whole thing gets wrapped up."

Samantha: That was beautiful! But I know that you came here for another reason. Didn't you?"

Lady Zeppelin: Well yes we did."

Disabler: Wallace has gone insane! Like batshit insane!"

Razorback: He might have dropped some chemicals on himself which caused him to go nuts."

Suburban Amazon: Alright. We believe you but i need to inform my men and women about this. Power Patrol! We have been through countless battles with Wallace Duvall and I know that he thinks that we are some unnecessary race that needs to be destroyed when we know that we are not. We need to unite and call upon the common people of Santa Cruz to defeat this man in a final confrontation. Either we win together or we die together!"

The Heroes cheer and they head towards downtown Santa Cruz in order to call upon the civilians and the law enforcement to assist them in a final battle. While that is going on Wallace enters the office of his father Alex Duvall and prepares to perform a traumatizing event.

Alex: What the hell do you want Wallace? We already disowned you. Just go back to your man cave and don't come back."

Wallace: Oh I'm not planning on leaving without your head father."

Wallace raises his robot arm and shoots a bolt of plasma right at his father's shoulder. Alex screams in agony as his arm falls off in a disgusting shower of blood and bones.

Alex: Why did you do that?!"

Wallace: Well I thought that since you destroy so many lives by putting so many people into poverty someone should destroy yours for a change!"

Wallace raises his left arm and decapitates his father! He puts his father's head into a bag and waits for his mother to come in.

Courtney: What are you holding?

Wallace: Nothing important to me but certainly important to you. The Bloody head of Alex Duvall!"

Wallace pulls the head out of the bag and shows it to Courtney, she is devastated and traumatized beyond belief and nearly vomits at the sight of her husbands head!

Courtney: Wallace you bastard! He was my other half! If you wanted to be my son again so badly you didn't need to to do this!"

Wallace: I don't want to be your son. I wanted to say goodbye. You will see this city fall and my reign as the Supreme Dictator shall begin!"

Wallace leaves the building with Courtney still mourning the loss of Alex. Wallace returns to his lab and goes inside his 50 foot tall mech which lumbers towards the city with the intent to destroy it. The Power Patrol is gathering all of the men and women of the city who are willing to fight as soon as the Mech comes into view. She -Beast is ready for this though as she turns 50 feet tall herself to challenge Wallace. Kelly Krimson is on the scene as she flies in close while in a helicopter to report on the incident.

"The man in the Mech is confirmed to be none other than the economy crushing Wallace Duvall who is being challenged by the woman known as She-Beast who just grew to the size of Wallace's mech! It also appears that the woman from the Army Veterans incident is encouraging the law enforcement to assist the heroes in this battle! Yes it is the Cruising Crusader! It seems that this team of heroes is the last line of defense against Wallace. We are counting on you Superheros and Superheroines! The fate of the entire world lies in your hands!"

Wallace can't not believe his eyes! Every man and woman that can fight for Santa Cruz's freedom is in the streets ready to defeat Wallace. Even his Villainous Vanguards join in as well as Ophelia who jumps into the fray as soon as she is done giving Sandra Day a good luck kiss. Wallace is completely filled with rage and he decides to speak out about it.

Wallace: You people are either incredibly brave or insanely stupid. You are witnessing my greatest creation. This suit of Battle armor is my ultimate technological achievement and unless you want to be its first test subjects I suggest you leave this city immediately!

The civilians don't move. Most of them throw molotovs and knives at his robot in defiance.

Male Civilian: You mess with the Power Patrol you mess with Santa Cruz!

Female Civilian (Tammy): You mess with one of us you mess with all of us!

She-Beast: I think you have your answer Wallace. Surrender or I will use lethal force against you and your 50 foot toy!

Wallace: Oh you mean this toy?

Wallace shoots a beam of plasma at She Beast which burns her skin and makes her recoil in pain but she is remains undeterred.

She-Beast: Yeah now feel the wrath of my toys!

She-Beast clenches her fists and punches Wallace's mech and then the fight is on. The civilians cheer every single time that She-Beast lands a punch and boo whenever Wallace lands a punch or shoots her with plasma. She-Beast eventually grabs a building, lifts it over her head and tosses it at the Mech which knocks it down.

Samantha: She-Beast what the hell are you doing?

She-Beast: Don't worry Sam it was an empty, broken down building. It was supposed to go down anyways. Call it my "Urban Renewal".

She-Beast then grabs the head of the mech, rips it off of the body and crushes it with her bare hands! Wallace can't believe his eyes! He jumps out of the mech and prepares for his personal Plan B.

Wallace: All right you destroyed my robot but this battle is far from won! You will all perish for defying me!

Wallace uses his robot arm to create clones of himself in order to fight off the majority of the Santa Cruz population.

Wallace: Clones! Attack! Kill everyone in your path!

Suburban Amazon: Everyone! Defend your city! Fight for our freedom!

The clones and the civilians battle it out and wherever Samantha goes there is absolute chaos. There are clones killing police officers by cutting them to pieces with their katanas and other clones attacking civilians. The Power Patrol however is still battling well. Starwomans particle blasts shoot right through the clones, Human Insect sting's several clones to disable all of their limbs, She-Beast shrinks back down to her normal size and tears through most of the clones with her sheer strength, Bowregard shoots several clones from a mile away with his long range arrows, Thala Shock, Ophelia Williams, Sandra Day and Tammy each take on individual clones using crowbars, baseball bats or whatever other weapons that they can find. Alchemist decides that enough is enough and he decides to go after the real Wallace alone.

Wallace: You really you have a chance against me you ancient pansy? You're nothing but a washed up old man!

Alchemist: Old? I prefer the term experienced!

Alchemist shoots Wallace with some magical energy beams but Wallace avoids them and shoots Alchemist with his plasma beam which causes Alchemist to drop down to one knee. Wallace then raises his katana and stabs Alchemist directly on the heart.

Samantha: Alchemist! No!

Samantha runs over to Alchemists body and realizes that the stab killed him. Samantha is completely enraged.

Samantha: You destroyed the city, you killed my teammate and now you want to kill me. Go ahead, go ahead and try you douchebag!

Wallace: That shall only be the first casualty in this battle Sam!

Wallace and Samantha clash weapons, Wallace slashes repeatedly with his sword but Samantha is able to avoid his attacks and hit him with a swing of her bo staff. She throws Wallace across the city block and kicks him in the face. Wallace in turn slashes her leg causing her to get a cut. A deep cut that caused some bleeding but Samantha was too determined to acknowledge the pain. She grabs Wallace by the throat and chokes the air out of him. Another slash from Wallaces sword cuts open Samanthas right arm causing her to scream in pain as she let go of Wallace's throat.

Wallace: You can't beat me now Samantha give up! I am finally victorious!

Samantha slapped Wallace with her left hand and knees Wallace in the face. Finally she throws the bo staff at Wallace's face and smashes Wallace's robotic arm with an enormous swing from her staff. This causes all of the clones to evaporate and Wallace to lay down in defeat.

Samantha: Surrender. Every single time I stopped you, you always appear again, killing more people, threatening our country and our world. Maybe Starwoman was right, maybe you are better off dead.

Wallace: You could call my appearances a running gag!

Wallace lifts up his robotic arm and attempts to fire some plasma but the arm explodes causing a piece of the arm to penetrate his chest. Wallace screams in agony as blood pours out of his stomach.

Wallace: Are you happy now?!

Samantha: Do you want to know something funny? After everything you have done, and after all the people you have killed I still would have saved you.

Wallace: (Laughs) That actually is pretty funny!

Wallace laughs with his last breaths before he eventually dies from the shrapnel wound. Samantha is experiencing a mixture of emotions since she is happy that Wallace wouldn't be able to commit any more crimes but she didn't want the battle to end with Wallace dying.

She picks up Wallace's body and the civilians who saw the scene were in shock. They knew that Samantha didn't kill Wallace but they were shocked that Wallace essentially killed himself. Courtney Duvall was on the scene to find Wallace's body delivered to her car by Samantha.

Samantha: I'm sorry for your loss Courtney.

Courtney: I'm not.

Afterwards the Power Patrol and all of the citizens who were still alive attend the funeral service for the Alchemist. Samantha gets to deliver a short speech about him.

Samantha: He was a hero. A man who stuck with his friends through the thick and thin and one who always stood up against injustice. Throughout his 615 years of life he contributed to society in many ways. He helped John Lewis and Diane Nash in the Freedom Rides he voted for Harvey Milk for the Mayor of San Francisco. Even in the middle ages he advocated for the inclusion of female Knights. His contributions to justice throughout his long and prosperous life will never be forgotten. So it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to The Alchemist.

After the funeral Samantha decides to talk to Tammy one more time while she shrunk down to her svelte, nerdy form.

Tammy: Samantha! The Cruising Crusader saved our city! Isn't that amazing?

Samantha: Of course. I didn't get to see her but she must have been a Badass!

Tammy: Wallace is finally dead so now I feel like I can finally pay my rent and get a job for once.

Samantha: Well I can tell you that you are going to be alright. I think you're the best roommate i could have.

Tammy: Thanks buddy.

Samantha: Are you planning on attending Sandra and Ophelia Williams wedding in a few weeks?

Tammy: Maybe. You know after all of this I could use a vacation.

Samantha: How about we do that lets take a vacation. You and me.

Tammy: Well I always wanted to go to Kauai.

Samantha: That sounds perfect!

Two weeks later Samantha and Tammy go on a vacation to Lihue, Hawaii and the Power Patrol assists with the reconstruction of Santa Cruz.

So how was the first story arc? Do you want me to make more stories? Please tell me your thoughts and Samantha will see you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 6

After a magnificent and relaxing week of vacation with Tammy in Lihue Hawaii Samantha returned to Santa Cruz to find the devastated city gaining repairs from the Power Patrol and the newly reformed Villainous Vanguards. Samantha returned to her apartment to see that there was a voicemail message left for her and out of curiosity she decides to hear the message.

Voice: Hello Sam my name is Michael Cruz. You know your older brother who you haven't seen for about 8 years? After I left I tried to use that Bachelors degree in Chemistry for something but nothing came up so I've just been stuck with a grocery store job for the past 7 years. Anyway my mom and I were planning on showing up at your apartment so please be ready for us at about 3 okay? Goodbye.

Samantha glanced at her clock which read 2:56 so she quickly got ready for their appearance, putting on some conservative clothes while making sure she was still in her nerdy form since she never told Michael that she is the Cruising Crusader.

Tammy: What are you doing Samantha? You look like you're going to another Comic Book Convention!

Samantha: My brother just called me for some type of family reunion so I might be gone for a while okay? Can you look over the apartment while I'm gone?

Tammy: Alright but you still owe me for that tainted kalula pork that I ate at Lihue!

Samantha: I already said I was sorry! I didn't know that the pork was tainted!

Tammy: Relax I was only teasing you. I will keep this place safe and sound untill you return.

Samantha went outside and brought a bag full of supplies with her since she didn't know if her brother wanted to be with her for more than one day. Michael showed up in his mother's car and signaled Samantha to get in. Samantha went inside the car and greeted her long lost family.

Samantha: Hello Michael, Mom how are you doing?

Isabella: Samantha we need to talk.

Michael: You will not believe this but we have found Sierra and Sienna!

Samantha couldn't believe it! Those two women were the mob bosses that murdered her father in cold blood and now she was going to get the chance to avenge her father's death!

Isabella: Sierra and Sienna apparently founded a community of like minded "patriots" that have taken over a city known as Altambra deep in Nevada. These so called Patriots are really just a bunch of criminals who need to be apprehended before they commit any more heinous crimes. So Samantha are you ready to undertake this mission?

Samantha: The memory of my father's death has haunted me for the past 18 years and I need some closure on the entire incident. I'm in. But we will need some help.

Michael: Help from who?

Samantha: Just drive over to 12345 Spaceball avenue and I'll tell you bro.

Samantha had Isabella drive over to the location where Lady Zeppelin, Disabler and Razorback were spending their 90 days of community service for assisting Wallace painting houses.

Michael: A Black man and 2 white women who look like they belong in a Frank Miller novel. What is the point of this Sam?

Samantha: Trust me we will need some extra muscle where we are going! Hey guys!

Razorback: What do you want Sam? Can't you see we're busy?

Samantha: Since the Power Patrol has the main authority over in these parts I can get you guys off of your sentences early if you help me with a mission right now!

Disabler: Do you really mean that love?

Samantha: Absolutely! I can even give you the Amazons seal of approval. So get in my family's car because we are headed to Altambra Nevada!

The Vanguards enter the car which at that point was completely filled as The Vanguards introduce themselves.

Lady Zeppelin: Hello. My name is Lady Zeppelin, this young lady is the Disabler and the big man is Razorback.

Michael: Um okay. My name is Michael Cruz and this is my mom Isabella Cruz and I'm guessing you already know my sister the Cruising Crusader.

Samantha: You knew I was a superhero this whole time?

Isabella: Well yeah. Even with those big muscles, that tacky costume and that cocky, Devil May care attitude I could still tell that your face was attached to that Superhuman body.

Samantha: I guess you are the one person who could tell in the end mom. Now let's go!

So Samantha and her newfound allies drove all the way from Santa Cruz California to Altambra Nevada and along the way Michael decided to entertain everyone by telling them the story of a supernatural supervillain known as Perish.

Michael: The demonic and playfully sadistic Perish was originally a wide eyed, innocent young daughter of a priest named Hope Braunstein. Hope was one of the most loving and caring individuals in her town, she was incredibly beautiful but also deeply naive to the work of her controversial father. One night when the towns people decided to ransack and kill her father she prayed to the heavens hoping that someone could save him. Her prayers went unanswered for her father as her father was burned at the stake for suggesting that there is no God. However after the incident Hope heard a voice from the heavens that told her that if she gave up her unearthly beauty that the Lord would give her the Power to control life or death. She accepted and her body turned into a corpse that was partially decomposed and bloody. She swore vengeance on the men who murdered her father. And now she roams the world searching for sinners to kill as the world's own grim reaper. Perish is still out there but now she is lying in wait to strike again.

Samantha: Why did you decide to talk about that while we are headed to a city infested with criminals?

Michael: I just wanted to set the tone of what's going to happen. So to speak.

The car was stopped as soon as the crew met a woman who was positioned outside of Reno Nevada. Turns out she was from the justice department and she had a message to give to Samantha.

Justice Department Lady: I'm here to tell you to turn back. I've seen what's up ahead and the city of Altambra has over a dozen turret guns that protect the only entrance into the city. You will be cut to ribbons.

Samantha: If we give up now Sierra and Sienna will know that guns, bombs and knives are all they need to scare us. We're going on.

Justice Department Lady: God you are crazy, but brave, so brave.

The car drove to the entrance of Altambra where the city was in plain view. It was clearly in disrepair and it was dull to look at. It clearly belonged to low class citizens before Sierra took over. The turrets around the entrance opened fire which caused all of the guns to blast the vehicle over and over causing the windows to breal, and the steel around it to break apart. Samantha turned into her Crusader form to protect her brother while Lady Zeppelin flew up so she could offer some air support by bombarding the turrets from above.

Samantha: Alright Sierra you're going to get tickets to the gun show!

Samantha got outside of the vehicle once all of the turrets were destroyed and when the tires were shot. The car was completely devastated but she pushed the car anyway because the family needed the supplies inside. Samantha pushed the car untill it was in the city limits and then she decided to set up camp outside of Altambra. It was going to be a very long day.

On the next morning Samantha her family and the Villainous Vanguards all wake up and decide to walk around to see Altambra as the crime infested wasteland that it is. The town is utterly decrepid and it looks like it was made in the 1880s. The civilians are obviously all criminals who didn't have a semblance of humanity in them. Every man and woman in the town looks at the costumed heroes who appear in the town and they all stop whatever they are doing to greet Samantha in their own way

Male Criminal: Who the hell are you freaks?

Female Criminal: We have done nothing to you so get to stepping if you know what's good for you!

Michael Cruz: Holy Crap! This place is a real crap hole! I mean it looks like Oakland in the Old West for crying out loud!

Samantha: Michael shush! You don't want to attract any attention from these guys! Some of these people might be murderers or worse!

Lady Zeppelin: I've dealt with my fair share of brutes in the military. Trust me if they get close to me these men will face more than just a sexual harassment charge.

Suddenly an African American woman comes out of the City Hall building and gains the attention of all of the criminals. Samantha recognizes her as Sienna, Sierras lackey who assisted her in the killing of Samanthas father Adam Cruz. She is ready to confront her but she notices something very different about Sienna. She is wearing a "flower girl" outfit that resembles a 60s style hippie and she also has headphones on her ears as well as two cannons on her forearms.

Isabella Cruz: What is she doing?

Sienna starts to hum and she shoots a wave of concussive sound out of her forearm cannons which hits every single criminal in the town and our heroes as well. Sierra than starts to sing a strangely alluring melody. Each criminal and hero is essentially brainwashed as they sing along and dance to the music.

Sienna: "I heard you want to plan a killing. I heard you want to make my sister dead. I thought of a plan that will leave you reeling. Something that murders you instead. Why pretend that you're a hero when we are sure you're vindictive (vindictive). Here's my chance to find that you're a zero. To show everyone you are repulsive! Me and you, you and me why don't we see who will win? We don't have to be involved in this revenge plot! Oh what's so wrong with a villainous addition mixed in with some heroic division? I'm powerful and I should know it. Yeah I rise above the rest. It doesn't matter who I kill if I'm just proving I'm the best! Oh Oh Oh! Destruction! You want all in it! Let's have destruction of the Power Patrol! Let's have destruction! We'll be in to win it! Let's have destruction, destruction, destruction of the Power Patrol!"

Male criminal: Let's kill buddies!

Sienna: Destruction!

Samantha: You wish!

Sienna: Destruction!

Female criminal: Let's destroy every hero on this planet!

Sienna: Destruction!

Michael Cruz: Not if we stop you first!

Sienna: "Me and you, you and me why don't we see who is stronger, We don't have to be in this revenge plot! Oh what's so wrong with some villainous addition mixed in with some heroic division? Destruction! You want all in it! Let's have destruction of the Power Patrol! Let's have destruction! We'll be in to win it. Let's have destruction, destruction, destruction of the Power Patrol!"

After the song ends all of the criminals and heroes break out of their hypnosis.

Samantha: Yeah let's just get out of here before Miss Jitterbug decides to make us dance to Chris Brown songs!

Isabella: You know that's actually her super villain name! Jitterbug!

Samantha: That doesn't matter Mom let's get out of here!

The heroes run over to the local saloon where Disabler makes a suggestion.

Disabler: Let's hide out in that saloon, I bet it's full of supplies. Plus after what just happened I'll need a drink.

Razorback: I second that notion.

Isabella: Agreed. However getting inside the Saloon will not be easy as there is a short man who guards the Saloon who calls himself Zizzini, the wisest man in the world. He will only let you in if you beat him in a contest.

Samantha: I'll talk to him. So Zizzini is there any way that we can gain passage into the Saloon?

Zizzini: That would be inconceivable. No you cannot.

Samantha: It seems that we are at an impasse.

Zizzini: I'm afraid so - I can't compete with you physically. And you're no match for my brains.

Samantha: You're that smart?

Zizzini: Let me put it this way: have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?

Samantha: Yes?

Zizzini: They are morons compared to my super supreme intelligence.

Samantha: In that case I shall challenge you to a battle of wits.

Zizzini: For entrance into the Saloon?

Samantha nods

Zizzini: To the death?!

Samantha nods again.

Zizzini: I accept.

Samantha: Good then pour the water.

Zizzini pours water into two goblets as Samantha reaches into her bag of supplies and finds an antidote for her radiated blood. Using the antidote would purify her blood therefore removing her powers. She knows the man in question was a costumed villain so she decides to use the antidote for the challenge.

Samantha: Inhale this but do not touch.

Zizzini: I smell nothing.

Samantha: What you do not smell is called viranium. It's odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid and is one of the most deadly poisons known to Superhumans.

Samantha takes the two goblets and puts the antidote in one of them without Zizzini seeing it.

Samantha: Now where is the antidote? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when we drink our water and we find out who still has their powers and who doesn't.

Zizzini: But it's so simple. All I have to do is deduce from what I know of you. Are you the sort of woman who would put the antidote into her own goblet, or her enemy's? [pauses to study Samantha] Now, a clever woman would put the antidote into her own goblet, because she would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I'm not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the water in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the water in front of me.

Samantha: You've made your decision then?

Zizzini: Not remotely. Because viranium comes from Africa, as everyone knows. And Africa is entirely peopled with African people. And African people are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So I can clearly not choose the water in front of you.

Samantha: Truly you have an incredible intellect.

Zizzini: Wait till I get going! Where was I?

Samantha: Africa.

Zizzini: Yes Africa and you must have suspected I would have known the antidotes origin, so I can clearly not choose the water in front of me.

Samantha: Now you're just stalling.

Zizzini: You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You've beaten Razorback while you were at Santa Cruz which means you're exceptionally strong. So, you could have put the antidote in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you. So I can clearly not choose the water in front of you. But, you've also bested The Disabler and Lady Zeppelin which means you must have studied. And in studying, you must have learned that men and women are mortal so you would have put the antidote as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the water in front of me.

Samantha: You're trying to trick me into giving something away. It won't work.

Zizzini: It has worked - you've given everything away - I know where the antidote is.

Samantha: Than make your choice.

Zizzini: I will. And I choose [stops suddenly and points at something behind Samantha.] what in the world can that be?

Samantha: [Turns, looks] What? Where? I don't see anything.

Zizzini quickly switches the goblets while Samantha has her head turned.

Zizzini: Oh, well, I-I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. (Laughs)

Samantha: What's so funny?

Zizzini: I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink - me from my glass, and you from yours.

And he picks up his goblet. Samantha picks up the one in front of her. As they both start to drink, Zizzini hesitates a moment. Allowing Samantha to drink first, he then swallows his water.

Samantha: You guessed wrong.

Zizzini: (roaring with laughter) You only think I guessed wrong... [louder now] ...that's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned. Ha-ha, you fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia." But only slightly less well known is this: "Never go in against a Supervillain when death is on the line! Ahahahaha, ahahahaha, ahahaha- (He loses his intelligence) what? I can't remember you!

Samantha: Oh thank god! That was down to pure luck! You've suffered the effects of viranium! Any superhuman who ingests it loses their powers. I don't kill by the way. So you can thank me later.

Samantha and the heroes go into the Saloon and start to plan a rebellion against Jitterbug and Sierra the woman who killed her father. Samantha can't wait but she knows that she might lose her life as well if she doesn't plan things out.


	7. Chapter 7

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 7

Samantha is drinking some beer at the Saloon while also learning about the facility inside Altambra that is run by Sierra and Sienna. She finds a map inside the saloon and discovers that Sierra has a unknown building that is positioned directly behind the Altambra city hall. Samantha gathers her buddies and decides to inform her family and the Vanguards of her plan.

"Alright, comrades. I found this map while I was snooping around the Saloon here. This area right here is the only building in the entire town that is not marked. I'm almost certain that is where the Sierra and her Jitterbug ally are hiding. I'm going to sneak inside and apprehend Sierra. She will pay for murdering my father 18 years ago. If she remembers her heinous act that is. Michael and the Disabler will come with me. Everyone else needs to defend the Saloon. I heard that the criminals are planning an all out assault on the Saloon soon. My mission requires us to be as stealthy as possible and Lady Zeppelins bombs as well as Razorbacks super strength are complete wild cards.

Lady Zeppelin: We can be silent!

One of Lady Zeppelins explosive pistols fires off causing the table to her right to explode.

Lady Zeppelin: Point taken we'll stay here. If anyone tries to enter this establishment I will kick their asses!

Razorback: Give Sierra a boot in the head for me. I'm as strong as ten men I'll be fine.

Isabella Cruz: Be safe my one and only daughter, you too my only son.

Michael: We will make it out alive don't you worry. Sierra will pay for splitting us apart from the man we loved.

Disabler: I'll take out any super powered freaks I can find while I'm in that laboratory you have my word.

Samantha: As soon as we are done with those two miscreants we will regroup at the front entrance of Altambra. Make sure you are ready to escape this wasteland. Either we win together or we die together!

Samantha, Michael and Disabler all sneak out of the Saloon and travel over to the City Hall, avoiding the attention of any of the criminals patrolling the streets along the way. They eventually sneak inside the city hall and find Sienna still in her Jitterbug outfit singing a song while looking at the Altambra insignia, which essentially looks like rainbow colored Pyramid inside of a square.

Jitterbug: At first I was afraid

I was petrified

Kept thinking I could never live

without you by my side

But then I spent so many nights

thinking how you did me wrong

And I grew strong

And I learned how to get along

and so you're back

from outer space

I just walked in to find you here

with that sad look upon your face

I should have changed that stupid lock

I should have made you leave your key

If I had known for just one second

you'd be back to bother me

Go on now go walk out the door

just turn around now

'cause you're not welcome anymore

weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye

Did you think I'd crumble

Did you think I'd lay down and die

Oh no, not I

I will survive

Oh as long as I know how to love

I know I will stay alive

I've got all my life to live

I've got all my love to give

and I'll survive

I will survive (hey-hey)

The insignia goes inside of the wall allowing Sienna to push a button in the hole formed inside of the wall. The button causes the wall to shift and turn which causes Jitterbug to go to the other side of the building. Samantha , Michael and Disabler all run in after her and they decide to knock out the criminals that they find once they head into the secret building. Disabled manages to knock two criminals out that looked as if they were experimented on by using her power dampening gloves.

Disabler: Well that was easy. For the record I enjoyed the original version of Gloria Gaynors song to that butchered version by Ms Jitterbug.

Samantha: As do I. Let's look around amigos.

The secret area that they locate is a laboratory that is filled with test tubes, Tesla Coils and some sort of orange substance that is stuffed inside of a container that is nearly 5 feet tall.

Michael: What the hell? Since when did Sierra and Sienna have chemical compounds like this?

Jitterbug: Since right about now!

Jitterbug appears right behind the three heroes and Michael tries to tackle her but she dodges him and squirts the orange substance onto his face. Michael drops down to his knees and starts convulsing in pain

Michael: Hijo de Puta!

Jitterbug starts to sing another song in order to force slave-like obedience from Michael.

Jitterbug: Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh Now that you're under my spell

Blindsided by my treat

Clapping your hands, stomping your feet

You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh-oh Now you've fallen under my spell Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh I've got the music, makes you move it

Got the stuff that makes you lose it

I say "kill", you say "how many?"

Put my boot to your fanny!

I've got the music, makes you move it

Got the stuff that makes you lose it

I say "kill", you say "how many?"

Put my boot to your fanny!

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Now that you're under my spell Listen to the sound of my voice

Soon you'll find you don't have a choice

Captured in the web of my song

Soon you'll all be singing along I've got the music, makes you move it

Got the song that makes you lose it

I say "jump", you say "how high?"

Put your hands up to the sky

I've got the music, makes you move it

Got the song that makes you lose it

We say "jump", you say "how high?"

Put your hands up to the sky

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Now that you're under my spell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Now that you're under my Spell!

Michael's pupils glow yellow and his voice deepens. He turns around to look at his sister and threatens her.

Michael: Woman! You will die! I shall serve my only master Jitterbug!

Michael swings his fists at Samantha and kicks wildly with no sense of intelligence or real accuracy. He actually hits Disabler rather than Samantha.

Disabler: Sam! He's going to kill me! Power up! Increase your muscle size already!

Samantha: I can't! He's my brother! My body won't grow!

Samantha can usually increase the size of her muscles via thought but she can't bring herself to attack her own brother even if he is possessed.

Samantha: I surrender Jitterbug! Just please don't hurt my brother!

Jitterbug: I knew you would eventually see reason. I won't hurt your brother but I will force him to pleasure me at my every beck and call! Isn't that right sister?

Disabler: Sister?

Sierra appears right behind Jitterbug and she looks exactly the same as she did 18 years ago.

Sierra: That's right. You're foolish if you think you can stand In between me and my empire. I shall use your brother for a special assignment later on this week but for now you and your friend will be locked in my gas chamber! Jitterbug if you would do the honors.

Samantha: You will never get away with killing my father!

Sierra: I don't remember killing your father and I don't expect to remember killing you!

Both Disabler and Samantha are thrown inside of the chamber and the steel door is shut. The orange substance starts to seep into the chamber.

Sierra: Forgot to mention. This orange gas is loaded with a cyanide compound that I developed. See you in the afterlife Samantha!

Samantha: No!

Meanwhile the criminals of Altambra are ripping apart the saloon with reckless abandon. Isabella hides in the back while Lady Zeppelin and Razorback attempt to defend the Saloon.

Isabella: Wherever those two kids of mine are they had better return! I don't think her friends can take much more of this!

Samantha and the Disabler are still both inside the orange cyanide gas chamber that Sierra and Sienna aka Jitterbug had left them in mere minutes ago. They had taken Samanthas possessed brother Michael to attempt the biggest crime that the two villainous women have ever attempted in their lives.

Samantha: Alright Disabler unless we want to look like two dead Halloween pumpkins in the next minute or so we need to find a way out of here!

Disabler: That's easy for you to say I can't figure out how to... Wait! I think I know how to escape!

Samantha: You do? Thank goodness! I was really freaking out for a while there. Lay it on me!

Disabler: I can divert the orange cyanide gas with my Power Dampening gloves but there's a catch... I need to stay inside the chamber in order to cover the holes that the cyanide gas is pumping out of.

Samantha: That means you might have to sacrifice yourself?

Disabler: Yes. I'm sorry Sam. I used to think that an ideal world was a world without any superheroes, a world where superpowers and extreme violence would be a thing of the past. But now I realize that the world needs people like you. People who risk their lives for the sake of the lives of others. People who don't mind looking overly attractive or overly muscular while wearing tight spandex suits. But most of all people who truly believe in the cause of justice. I will go out fighting and I hope you save your brother from Sierra's clutches. Please leave this place and save yourself. It's the least I can do after everything I've done to you.

Samantha: I forgive you for all of your previous indiscretions. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Samantha hugs Disabler and tries to get her muscles to grow back to their Superhuman size.

Disabler: Come on Samantha! You need to power up!

Samantha tries to concentrate and eventually she remembers how she was able to cause her muscles to grow beforehand.

Samantha: (To herself) Let go of your emotional tethers, Enter the Void, Find your true strength!

Samantha recoils slightly in pain as her arms and legs beef up and her musculature grows more and more, her waist forms six pack Abdominal muscles, her height increases by a foot and a half and her voice finally deepens once more. She is in tremendous pain but she keeps on growing untill her humongous muscle bound superbody is restored The Cruising Crusader is back in business! Samantha breaks down the door and manages to run out of the gas chamber just before it overloads with the cyanide gas. Disabler gives Samantha a quick air kiss before the chamber explodes due to her blocking the gas in the chamber. Disabler coughs twice before finally succumbing to her wounds and her inhalation of the cyanide gas which also turns her skin orange.

Samantha: Rest in Peace Disabler. One day my friends will thank you.

After paying her respects to the fallen heroine Samantha runs out of the laboratory , through the city hall and back into the Saloon where she finds Lady Zeppelin and Razorback badly wounded and her mother nowhere to be found.

Samantha: Come on Zeppy! Wake up! What happened here?!

Lady Zeppelin: There were... Too many of them... We tried to save Isabella... But your brother went nuts... Please save your family...

Razorback: Yes... Please... At least we went out in a blaze of glory... I suppose that will make up for our crimes...

Both Lady Zeppelin and Razorback perish from their multiple wounds and Samantha starts to become enraged.

Samantha Sierra! Sienna! No one messes with my family and gets away with it!

Samantha storms out of the Saloon and runs toward the city limits of Altambra. She find Sienna aka Jitterbug and decides to engage her in battle one final time.

Samantha: You are going to tell me where my mom and my brother are or you will know the meaning of pain!

Jitterbug: Certainly. After we have one last song of course!

Samantha: Okay... You do your musical business and I'll one up you with my own melodic abilities!

Jitterbug: Let's dance! If you sing well to the rhythm I create you'll remain in control of your body. If you don't you'll be my puppet!

Both women prepare a song for Jitterbugs challenge.

Jitterbug: It's payback time.

Samantha: Is that all you've got to say?

Jitterbug: "Well, well, well. What a pest you are. Still around, huh? Ooooh! Can't say I like that! So, why don't you just give up? Ya know, surrender!"

Samantha:"It's over. It's done. Your scheme was bound to fail! You're Defeated. You're finished here. Your next stop will be jail!"

Jitterbug: "She mocks me, she battles me I don't know which is worse. I might just laugh to death if I don't kill her first!"

Samantha: "What's this a trick? I'm not impressed you're insane through it all! It makes it all the more worthwhile to see a madwoman fall!"

Jitterbug: "Talk all you want but I tell you this woman's going nowhere! If I were you I'd take a hike there's danger in the air!"

Both: "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Samantha: "I'm the Cruising Crusader! You're going down Jitterbug!"

Jitterbug: "Aren't we confident?"

Samantha: "Well, I'm feeling angry, and there's plenty left to do! I fought your most unwelcome help and now I'm after you!"

Jitterbug: "Even if you catch me, You'll never do me in! I'm aware of your no kill rule. Which means I'm gonna win!"

Both: "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Samantha: "I'm the Cruising Crusader! This ends here and now!"

Jitterbug: "You wish!"

Samantha: "It's over, you're finished! You'll never get away! You, the Altambra Criminal Queen? That'll be the day!"

Jitterbug: "How feeble, how childish! Is that the best you've got? You think that you're a hero Sam, But I know that you are not!" I'm the Altambra Queen!

Samantha: You're the Queen of nothing!

Jitterbug: "Whoa, Now it's time for you to see what it really means to kill, Cause I'm a gamblin' Boogiewoman and I truly thrill. It's much more fun, I must confess When lives are on the line. Not mine, of course but yours, old friend. Now that'd be just fine."

Both: "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Samantha: "I'm the Cruising Crusader!"

After Samanthas thunderous final verse she grabs Jitterbug by the collar and destroys her mind control arm cannons.

Samantha: Where is my brother? Tell me or I will burn you alive!

Jitterbug: Okay okay! Stop stop! God damn it! I'll tell you everything! Sierra took Michael over to Reno Nevada in order to steal a nuclear weapon. Now please let me go!

Samantha: Thank you you've been most helpful. You're lucky that I'm nice.

Samantha lets Jitterbug go and uses her car to head to Reno Nevada. She drives all the way to Reno where she eventually finds Michael again. He is about to rob a nuclear weapon from a military base right outside of Reno.

Michael: Do not interfere! I only follow Sierra!

Samantha: Michael I know you're in there somewhere. You have to fight the mind control!

Michael shakes his head and holds it in pain as he temporarily regains control of his body.

Michael: There's something going on in my brain! Ahh! Get out of my head Sierra! Leave my brain alone!

Sierra: Never! You will obey!

Sierra pushes a button on her controller for the chemical in Michael and he went back to his brainwashed self.

Michael: Superhuman piece of excrement! You are so going to regret coming down here!

Samantha: I know you still care Michael. I don't want to hurt you.

Michael: I know. But I don't care.

Samantha again finds herself unable to attack Michael and she therefore shrinks her muscular frame down to her nerdy, gangly physique. She dodges Michaels flailing swings, punches and kicks with ease and refuses to counter when she is given the opportunity. However after Michael lands one punch to her stomach Samantha decides that she needs to fight full force. She writhes in pain as she grows bigger and taller and as her muscles pump up once more. She kicks Michael in the face causing him to get stunned.

Michael: Damn Chingada Madre!

Michael punches and swings a baseball bat wildly at her but Samantha dodges with excellent timing and bashes Michaels mid section with her bo staff. She grabs his baseball bat and breaks it and finishes her brother by delivering a flying knee to his face. Michael finally breaks out if Sierras mind control and regains control.

Samantha: Brother. I'm so sorry. I had no choice.

Michael: Please kill me. I don't want to kill anyone when Sierra takes control of me again!

Samantha: I can't! You're my brother! I can't stomach even the thought of it.

Michael: Please... Let me go... Sister.

Samantha realises there's no other way to end his suffering. She grabs Michaels neck and snaps it with tears coming out of her eyes.

Michael: Gracias Mi Hermana.

Samantha is now utterly enraged. She only has her mother left so Sierra needs to pay for her crimes in order for her to feel satisfied. Samantha lifts up her bo staff and is ready to bash Sierra's brains in when all of the sudden... A portal appears and a female corpse climbs out of the portal. She crawls on all fours while staring at Sierra.

Samantha: That must be that Perish chick Michael told me about!

Perish gets up lifts up her scythe and slices Sierras head off!

Perish: Power clouded your mind and you never did anything to improve anyone's life. You're a sinner if I've ever seen one!

Samantha: I had her! Who do you think you are?

Perish: I'm Perish, the goddess of death! My Four Horsewomen are waiting for your Power Patrol back in Santa Cruz as I speak. If you desire revenge find us at the Boris Lugosi Mental Hospital. We will be waiting!

Samantha frees her mother who was held captive by Sierra and she heads back to California. She is prepared to work with her Power Patrol buddies for one more mission. One that might demolish the fate of Super humans forever!

Samantha: Mom I'll take you back home but then I'll need to get my buddies to come with me for one hell of an adventure. This might be the end of the Power Patrol!


	8. Chapter 8

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 8

Samantha takes a long drive back to Santa Cruz California while thinking about all the events that happened in Altambra that are causing her current uncertainty and depression. The attack on the Altambra Saloon that cost the lives of Lady Zeppelin and Razorback, The brainwashing of her brother Michael and her subsequent mercy killing of him, Disabler sacrificing her life to allow Sam to escape and finally Perish's unexpected murder of Sierra. She decides to talk to her mother Isabella as she's the only survivor of the Altambra Incident.

Samantha: Mom. I just don't feel that I can stop every villain who gets in my way. Every time I manage to defeat a villainous individual I always find another one who's even tougher and even more dangerous. Nothing has changed!

Isabella: It's true that you might face several more challengers in your future however I see that you have done far more good than you previously thought you have. You spared Jitterbug's life when you didn't have to and you managed to save me when I was captured by Sierra and your brainwashed brother. You need to have confidence in yourself. It's like the psychological reasoning of your powers. Your muscles grow when you find an inhuman amount of confidence in your abilities. So please know that you did what you could do at the time.

Samantha: What do you do when you can't do nothing, but there's nothing you can do?

Isabella: You do what you can.

Samantha feels far more at ease as she drops off her mother at her old house and travels back to Santa Cruz to attend the wedding of Ophelia Williams and Sandie Day. They had confessed their love for each other before the Wallace Duvall Incident and they just now arranged their wedding ceremony at the LGBT friendly Power Patrol headquarters. Suburban Amazon provides the role of the rabbi for the event.

Suburban Amazon: Though the battle of Santa Cruz took a large toll on our fair city love did indeed bloom. These two women against all odds came together in solidarity to show the world that even a criminal and a scientist could find romance in the most desperate of times. As such I am certain these vows will be genuine and utterly heartfelt. Ophelia Williams do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health till death do you part?

Ophelia: I do Miss Amazon. Absolutely.

Suburban Amazon: And do you Sandra Day take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife and treat her not as an assistant in your laboratory but as your distinguished partner?

Sandra: I do. My lab won't be the same without her.

Suburban Amazon: If anyone knows of any reason why these two should not be joined in union speak now or forever hold your peace.

No one says a word

Suburban Amazon: Then by the power invested in me I hereby declare you wife and wife. You may now kiss the bride.

Ophelia and Sandie lift their veils and lean into each others faces delivering a passionate kiss. The audience claps in elation and the people watching the wedding via livestream are in tears. Thala Shock has completed her mission of stopping Ophelia from taking over the world as well.

Thala Shock: "My story arc seems to be complete. Bye Bye everyone!"

Thala travels back to the year 2100 via a time travel device that she brought with her at the beginning of her adventure.

After the wedding Samantha informs Suburban Amazon and the rest of the Power Patrol of the events that occurred in Altambra.

Samantha: When I left to avenge my father a week ago I had the Villainous Vanguards assist me as well as my brother Michael and my mom Isabella. It turned out to be a trap devised by Sierra and Sienna to brainwash my brother and to kill every remaining member of the Villainous Vanguards. However right before Sierra could get away a demon woman named Perish sent Sierra to hell.

Suburban Amazon: Perish? I thought she was just an urban legend.

Samantha: As it turns out Hope Braunstein actually did exist. She is Perish and I have been summoned over to the old Boris Lugosi Mental Hospital to face her.

Suburban Amazon: That place has been closed for years. I believe she might be sending you into another trap. I will go with you. I always knew I would be involved in some supernatural shenanigans one of these days.

Starwoman: I will go too. You might need someone who can fly. In the honor of being a superheroine I will fight alongside you. You have my Star blasts.

Bowregard: And you have my bow!

She-Beast: My strength!

Human Insect: My... Shrinking Ability. Yeah that wasn't as epic.

Samantha: Well then without further adieu. (Samantha increases her muscles to her Cruising Crusader size bursting through her normal attire and showing her Crusader uniform underneath.) Let's head over there!

Samantha and the Power Patrol drive over to the abandoned hospital in seperate cars as the rain pours down on their car windows and cool wind fills the city.

Starwoman: I heard that hospital has serious issues with its patients and the mental integrity of their doctors. I think one of the doctors went Schizo and chopped up at least 15 of them before it closed.

Crusader: That's rather unsettling. I hope Perish doesn't mind that I'm taking so many people with me.

Bowregard: What's she going to do? Strike us with lightning over that lapse in her rulebook?

A lightning bolt strikes the ground directly in front of the heroes causing Starwoman to barely dodge it with her car.

Crusader: Yes. Yes she will.

The heroes arrive at the hospital and each step out of their vehicles with an unwavering sense of uncertainty. Samantha walks over to the front door, she slowly opens the door letting Starwoman and She-Beast go in first. Before having a brief talk with Bowregard

Crusader: Stay out here. We need someone who can look out for anyone or anything Perish can throw at us.

Bowregard: How about Amazon and Insect?

Crusader: Amazons coming with me, Insect can be a second pair of eyes out here.

Cruising Crusader, Suburban Amazon, Starwoman and She-Beast all enter the hospital and find several mangled up bodies of police officers in the main hallway, followed by several other mutilated corpses of patients and doctors in the main building lobby. The place was clearly in disrepair and the walls were splattered with old blood presumably from the patients and doctors.

She-Beast: Ughh! This is disgusting!

Amazon: I know. Wait. Who's that?

Amazon noticed a nurse who was relatively unharmed who was barely conscious.

Amazon: Oh my god! Ma'am are you all right?

Nurse: Impossible... Perish... Is... Here...

The nurse collapses.

Amazon: Ma'am! Wait. The security cameras should've picked something up. Maybe you should check those Crusader.

Samantha walks over to the security cameras and peers down onto the display. She rewinds the footage to see that the three police officers who were killed in the hallway were shooting at something a mere two hours prior to the Power Patrol's arrival. They shoot at Perish in the footage but the bullets pass right through her.

Perish: Ha Ha Ha! My turn!

Perish quickly passes through each officer slicing their throats with her scythe.

Samantha is shocked however she turns around and Perish is there! Perish immediately knocks Samantha out as well as the other Power Patrol members and she hangs Samantha from her feet on a meat rack in some kind of butcher shop below the hospital. She then phases through the room.

Samantha manages to grab a knife on the table next to her by swinging herself and once she is free she grabs a key which was being held by a large man with a chainsaw. She sneaks out of the room only to find that the chainsaw man is aware of her presence! She runs for the door as fast as she can and manages to reach the elevator on the other side of the hallway right before the chainsaw man can cut her to pieces.

She rides the elevator up to the lobby and runs right for the front entrance. Bow regard is right outside with the other heroes in the car with him.

Bowregard: Come on Sam! Get in!

Samantha sprints for the car and gets inside with Perish in hot pursuit.

Crusader: Wait... What happened to Human Insect?

Bowregard: I'm sorry. I tried to wait for her but she never came!

Perish appears right in front of Bowregards car and flips it with her mind alone! The car crashes and Samantha blacks out!

Samantha regains consciousness to find that the crashed car has disappeared! Perish isn't in view either! In fact her entire team is nowhere to be found! She stands up and finds herself back in the hospital. Only this time she is inside a patient room. She walks over to the door and knocks hoping to get someone's attention. The nurse from before walks over to the door. She is a young looking woman with blonde hair, long legs, a thick Russian accent and a thin physique.

Samantha: Lady where are the rest of my teammates? The Power Patrol?

Nurse: Why whatever do you mean? I've never heard of them. My name is Tatiana Rusev. I'm your nurse for this session.

Samantha: Session? I'm not the one who's crazy Tatiana! There's this freak of nature woman who's trying to kill my whole team!

Tatiana: I'm just joking with you. I know you're not crazy but I don't know the Power Patrol. I've been in this same hospital for around 7 years. Before this it was 2008 and I was a Russian immigrant who just happened to get a medical degree at UC Santa Barbara so I could be a nurse here and now it's 2015 and I'm wearing this same ridiculous nurse outfit that I have been wearing for years. I mean what is the purpose of this thing? Giving the male patients boners?

Samantha sees that the outfit is rather impractical since Tatiana has a tight outfit which tugs on her skin and shows off her figure as well as a miniskirt that exposes her long legs.

Samantha: You know I sometimes feel the same way about the costumes of some superheroines. I mean if you raise your leg so much as a centimeter then you'd expose your goodies for the world to see. And my friend Starwoman has this skin tight Leotard that probably gives her a ton of wedgies.

Tatiana: Yeah. But enough about that I want to help you really I do but I don't know where to go.

Suddenly a door appears right next to Tatiana surprising both Samantha and Tatiana.

Samantha: Whoa! What's that door doing here?

Tatiana: Umm. It's Perish's world she literally can send us where ever she wants.

Samantha: I don't think we have a choice other than to go inside and see where she wants us to go.

Tatiana: She said something about the Four Horsewomen so I think she might want you to face them before you go after her.

Samantha: Sounds like that's the case. Come on let's go.

Samantha and Tatiana both go through the door and find that Perish has sent them to a small farming village where there are some normal people walking around.

Samantha: We aren't in Kansas anymore Tatiana. Where are we?

Tatiana: It looks like 19th century Swedan to me. The time period when Perish was Hope Braunstein!

Samantha walks around trying to get directions from people and she eventually finds a farmer attending to his crops.

Samantha: Excuse me sir?

The man doesn't respond and he continues farming.

Samantha: I just wanted to ask you have you seen a woman in dark robes wandering about here? She looks like a corpse.

The man shakes his head to signal that he doesn't know her.

Samantha: Sorry to bother you then.

As soon as she turns her back to leave the man starts screaming in agony and the village people also scream in unison.

Tatiana: What's going on?

The village people's eyes start to glow and their mouths shoot open to reveal bloody jaws and sharp teeth.

Village Man: Lord Mordecai will purge you!

Village Woman: Spill her blood! The blood of the heretic!

Samantha: Lord Mordecai? You mean Hope's father? You aren't getting Tatiana! You'll have to go through me!

Samantha punches the village man in the face and kicks the woman in the stomach which causes the woman's stomach to split open and the man's head to get knocked off his body. But the man simply puts his head back on his body and the woman's stomach regenerates!

Samantha: Uhh. Fighting won't be the answer here! We have to run!

Tatiana: Wait! One of us could continue to chase Perish while the other distracts the villagers. You're the one with the muscles.

Tatiana picks up a torch and waves her arms around to get the villagers attention. The villagers are easily distracted and they follow her deep into the forest nearby.

Tatiana: Keep following you filthy ratbags! It's a running buffet! All you can eat!

Samantha capitalizes on this opportunity and runs towards the other side of the village to find a large gate locked with a massive steel chain.

Samantha: Oh great. There's got to be something around here that can cut this. Maybe a chainsaw or something like that.

Samantha enters the barn nearby to look for supplies and finds some chickens, a few cows and a horse. Suddenly the roar of a chainsaw fills the air as a large masked woman with a chainsaw cuts right through a cow bisecting it within seconds.

Masked woman: I am Conquest the first Horsewoman and you will be decimated!

Conquest touches the horse and turns it into a dark spirit horse with red eyes, she then mounts the horse and attempts to run Samantha over with her horse. Samantha dodges and climbs to the second floor of the barn. Then Conquest starts to throw knives at Samantha causing her to run to the left side of the barn house.

Samantha: I've got to think of some way to dispose of this woman! Think think think! (Brainstorms) Wait! That's it!

Samantha runs over to the center of the second floor and pulls out her bo staff. She waits for Conquest to ride over to her location and she jumps off the second floor and hits Conquest with her staff knocking Conquest off her horse! She then grabs Conquest's chainsaw and slices her masked head revealing Conquest's disfigured face and she decides that it's best if she just knocks Conquest out with her staff.

Samantha: Sorry. No matter how evil you are I don't kill.

Perish climbs out of another portal and slices apart Conquest's horse with her scythe! Conquest is helpless to stop her and Perish simply decapitates Conquest which causes Samantha to recoil in disgust.

Perish: You have served me well Conquest but you have outlived your usefulness!

Samantha: You can't just murder whoever you please Perish! I will stop you!

Perish: You have no chance my dear. You may have defeated Conquest but there are still three more Horsewomen for you to defeat. Try not to bite off more than you can chew if you savor your fragile existence.

Perish disappears in another portal while laughing maniacally. Suddenly Bowregard comes out of a haybale he was hiding in for the fights duration and he strikes up a conversation with Samantha

Samantha: Bowregard! Thank god you're okay!

Bowregard: Yeah. At least the black guy won't die first! Suck it Hollywood racists! But in all seriousness I think we should head over to the hospice that I located beyond that gate. I think I saw Human Insect there.

Samantha: Yeah. That battle with Conquest really took a lot out of me. If we find the rest of the Power Patrol we could stand a chance against the Horsewomen and Perish!

Samantha grabs Conquest's chainsaw and cuts the chain on the gate which unfortunately breaks the chainsaw but also cuts the chain opening the gate. Samantha and Bowregard walk to the hospice with determination on their faces.

Will Samantha save her fellow teammates? Will Perish ever be stopped? Tune in next time!


	9. Chapter 9

The Cruising Crusader Chapter 9

Samantha and Bowregard walk towards the Hospice to find their injured teammate Human Insect while the two of them strike up a conversation.

Bowregard: Well that Tatiana woman seems like a helpful if tragically unsuitably dressed woman.

Samantha: She was. I hope she got away from those demonic villagers, I mean she had to run away in high heels! Do you know how hard that is?

Bowregard: Wouldn't know. I've never worn them. So we had better get to that hospice. Human Insect is definitely in there. I saw this big overweight guy carrying her when I regained consciousness.

Samantha: Cool. Let's head over there before the villagers send a Lynch mob after you!

Bowregard: Hey if any of those crackers even think of going for a Lynch mob they will get a volley of arrows from me!

As Samantha and Bowregard travel over to the Hospice Tatiana runs out of the forest to meet Samantha and Bowregard. Her outfit is covered in mud and slime and she is somewhat out of breath.

Tatiana: Hi guys! I managed to get those miscreants off my back.

Samantha: How did you do that?

Tatiana: I fell into a weird swamp while I was running from the villagers. It's weird though... This world seems like it was made with bits a pieces of Perish's memories cobbled together without any sense of logic. Anyway after I was covered in slime I acted like Swamp Thing when those villagers came and luckily they are dumbasses so I was able to escape after I scared them off. Even if I ruined my uniform.

Samantha: Oh well. You can change once we get inside the hospice. Besides I bet there are more practical outfits inside. Now let's hurry along and save Human Insect!

Samantha, Tatiana and Bowregard travel inside of the hospice and search in different areas. Tatiana goes upstairs and puts on a doctors uniform and some blue jeans, Bowregard searches down in the basement and Samantha checks for Human Insect on the first floor. Bowregard ends up locating Human Insect as she is having her stomach sliced open by the portly man that he saw beforehand.

Bowregard: Sir. I don't think that woman requires that type of medical malpractice. Just let me have her and I'll take it from here.

The man picks up his scalpel and turns around revealing his glowing eyes and bloody mouth that also has maggots dripping out of it. He raises his arm to attempt to stab Bowregard. The archer simply fires an arrow into the tub of lard's skull killing him instantly.

Bowregard: That's what you get you fat bastard!

Samantha and Tatiana both run downstairs to witness the aftermath.

Samantha: Bowregard! We came as fast as we could! Who was that?

Bowregard: He was a hostile surgeon. I had no choice other than neutralizing him.

Tatiana: You must be the young woman Bowregard was talking about. Don't worry Nurse Tatiana is here. Don't you fret.

Human Insect has her stomach sliced open so she is not in any condition to fight. However she is able to inform Samantha and Bowregard of a horrible and extremely unfortunate event.

Human Insect: Hey guys. Thanks for saving me. But I'm afraid She-Beast won't be as lucky as I am.

Samantha: What do you mean Insect?

Human Insect: I saw the second Horsewoman. Her name is Famine. She infected She-Beast with a proliferation orb that she transformed herself into.

Samantha: A proliferation orb?

Human Insect: It amplifies a superhero's powers and in her case it's making She-Beast grow nonstop!

Samantha: Can't she just shrink back down? She can usually choose how big she is.

Human Insect: That's the problem. She can't shrink back down. She's just going to keep growing and growing and she'll ultimately explode!

Samantha is in shock. She-Beast will take the entire village with her if she explodes! She imagines the scene in her head. She-Beast screams as she explodes in a shower of radiated blood and giant dismembered body parts.

Samantha: No! She-Beast is going to die!

Bowregard: Cruising Crusader calm down. All we need to worry about right now is finding She-Beast.

Samantha: I know. You're right. Tatiana can you heal Human Insect's injuries?

Tatiana: I'm going to need some time but I think I can stitch her stomach back together. She won't be able to fight for a while but she will be able to shrink down and fly around.

Samantha: Great. Come on Bowregard. Let's save our friend!

Samantha and Bowregard leave the hospice and head towards the village. She-Beast is lumbering around and is in general out of breath.

She-Beast: (Inner Monologue) Oh god. I've become a monster! I can't shrink down! This is just like the first time I gained my powers! Those radioactive pheromone's caused me to have zero control in my size! Please some one help...

Before she could finish her sentence She-Beast screams in agony as her body experiences insane amounts of pain as her body grows from her normal 50 feet height to 75 feet.

She-Beast: No! Please! I need to get smaller!

Samantha runs as fast as she possibly can towards She-Beast as the giant woman tries not to step on the buildings. Unfortunately her size and lack of energy gets the best of her as she destroys an entire house as she goes down to one knee!

Samantha: She-Beast! We're here!

She-Beast: Samantha it's you.

Samantha: She-Beast! Don't worry we'll find a way to shrink you down!

She-Beast: Don't look at me! (Covers her face). I've become a monster! I don't want you to look at me!

Samantha: You're not a monster. You're my friend. You've always been the heart of the team!

She-Beast: I was naive and arrogant. I tried to buy others into liking me with my money!

Samantha: You were just trying to help them out of poverty. Can't you see? We all care about you. You need to love yourself to love anyone else.

She-Beast: Thank you. It really means a lot. It's as if all the pain that I felt is washing away. I love you Samantha. Please stay with me...

She-Beast screams and grows yet again. The pain is so intense that She-Beast starts to cry and beg for mercy as she grows to 100 feet tall!

Samantha: She-Beast!

She-Beast: I can't stop Samantha I keep getting bigger and bigger! I'm going to destroy all of my friends and family! I just... (She falls down in exhaustion.)

Samantha runs over to She-Beasts head

She-Beast: You know soon I'm going to grow even bigger and blow up right? Before that happens I want you to end my life.

Bowregard runs over and raises his bow. He puts an explosive arrow in his bowstring.

Bowregard: This is for you She-Beast!

Samantha: No you can't! There has to be another way!

Bowregard: You want to save everyone else or not?

Suddenly She-Beasts head starts to glow signifying that the orb is inside of her.

Samantha: I know! She-Beast let me in your ear. I need to find that orb!

She-Beast nods and turns her head with the rest of her limited energy allowing Samantha to climb inside her ear. It was a relatively clean ear and she knew where she needed to go. She-Beast's brain. Unfortunately Perish was watching and she knew Samantha's intentions.

Sam finds the orb near She-Beasts brain and she throws her bo-staff at it which causes the orb to blink. She then jumps to the orb grabs it and makes a mad dash outside of She-Beast's body.

Samantha: Bowregard! Hit the orb with your spirit arrow!

The spirit arrow is an arrow that can destroy evil spirits that was developed by Sandra Day for Bowregard to use against supernatural supervillains.

Bowregard grabs his arrow and fires it into the orb which causes it to dissipate! She-Beast shrinks down to her normal size and Tatiana and a healed Human Insect make it to their location. Unfortunately Perish appears out of a portal, grabs Samantha and pulls her into the portal!

Samantha wakes up inside of a steel chamber where Perish attempts to intimidate her.

Perish: I know who you are Sam. I know what you crave, what you fear, what you despise and who you love. Will you be able live with yourself after what I force you to do? Poor little Tammy couldn't.

Samantha: What did you do to my roommate?

Perish: It doesn't matter. You still have two Horsewomen left, War will be next. It's too bad that you got dragged into this. But either way you're mine. To do with as I see fit!

Perish teleports away terrifying Samantha. She breathes heavily as she tries to find a way out of her steel chamber.

Samantha seemingly can't escape her confining cage due to her big body being too muscular and ample to squeeze through the bars however she still has the ability to shrink down to her original, nerdy and svelte form. She shrinks down to her nerdy form which causes her costume which normally fits her muscular frame perfectly to become baggy and almost too large for her to wear.

Samantha: (thinking) Damn it! This is why i only shrink down when i need to.

Samantha squeezes through the bars and returns to her intimidating, muscular physique kissing her right bicep as her muscles grow back as she once again feels an enormous surge of power.

Samantha: That's what i'm talking about! Ronda Rousey eat your heart out! Alright where the hell am i?

Samantha runs out of the containment room that she was locked in and finds that she is in a large chapel filled with crucifixes and vases full of holy water, Hawthorne trees are visible outside of the windows and there is a marble statue showing a priest and a young woman standing above a crowd of preachers with a plaque attached to it that Samantha reads out of curiosity.

"Our great benefactor Father Mordecai Braunstein and his beautiful, angelic daughter Hope."

Samantha: "Mordecai" so that's the name of Perish's dad. Gosh Hope looks so loving and pure.

The statue shows that Hope aka Perish was a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair and a slender, feminine physique. However just as Samantha finishes gazing upon the statue a mysterious aura builds behind her. Samantha feels a strong chill in the air as she turns around and sees a ghostly recreation of an important event in Perish's life. She realizes that she is viewing Perish's memories. The recreation shows Hope at a marriage inside the chapel with her father Mordecai acting as the minister and a young man with a medieval commoners uniform, black hair and an unnerving smile on his face acting as the groom.

Mordecai: Friends and Family of Hope and Richard we are gathered here to celebrate the unity and prosperity between a beautiful bride and a holy groom as our lord looks upon us with satisfaction. This union will bring prosperity between our people and i could not be happier than to be the man who validates this marriage! Now Richard do you take this lovely, virtuous woman to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health till death do you part?

Richard: I do Father Mordecai. I do (seductively) oh...

Hope starts to appear uncomfortable with Richards constant inappropriate sexual advances as his hand inches closer to her bottom rather then her hand.

Mordecai: Now do you my wonderful daughter take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband to care for, to support and to love for all of your life?

Hope's eyes dart around the area and she initially doesn't know what to say but as soon as Richard's hand touches her backside she tightly grasps Richards hand and screams at the top of her lungs

"Noooooooooooo!"

Mordecai, Richard and all of the people in attendance gasp in absolute horror as Hope decides to go into an enormous tirade.

Hope: Listen Dick you sir are the most lustful, blasphemous, un-charming and sexist man i have ever met! In fact the only thing royal about you is that you are a royal pain in my oh so enticing ass! Are my breasts and buttocks the only reasons you took interest in me? If this is what it takes for there to be peace between our two villages i hope both villages burn to the ground! You don't see me as a person you see me as masturbation fodder without a brain of her own! Father if you had a soul God would look down on you and spit on it! If you really cared about me you wouldn't have made this an arranged marriage! This weddings off!

Hope quickly kicks Richard in the crotch, grabs her fathers bible and rips it to shreds. She then runs out of the Chapel as the crowd looks on in shock. The memory ends as Samantha has a shocked facial expression in a direct reaction to the events. She is flabbergasted at what has just occurred in the memory and she wonders if Perish is showing her this for a purpose.

Samantha: What was that for Perish? Are you trying to make me feel sorry for you?

Faint Voice: Samantha... Help us... We need you...

Samantha hears the voice and runs for the hallway that it came from. She opens a gold plated door and inside she finds Tammy, her roommate who is held in her own cage! Of course she doesn't know that Samantha and the Cruising Crusader are one and the same so Samantha treats her like she would treat any civilian in need of assistance.

Samantha: Young woman don't worry i'm here to help. How did you get here?

Tammy: Oh it's you! The Cruising Crusader! (Calm down Tammy! Maintain your composure!) (clears throat) I was just minding my own business back at my apartment when all of a sudden this freak of nature lady comes out of the wall and drags me to this Resident Evil looking Chapel. Then she locked me in this cage and left to i guess attend to her other prisoners.

Samantha: Other prisoners? Does she have the Power Patrol captured in this place?

Tammy: Probably. She muttered something about The Suburban Amazon being held in her "experimental chamber".

Samantha: (Just what i need, another mad scientist!) Well i'm sure i'll be able to find her and bring her to safety. Trust me i'm a super hero and rule number one on my playbook is to never leave a fellow hero behind. You can count on that.

Samantha breaks the lock on the cage by bashing it with her bo staff and decides to tell Tammy to leave the dilapidated chapel. Tammy runs off and Samantha decides to head for the staff quarters of the church where she sees another memory from Perish's past as Hope. This one shows Hope praying after her father was murdered by an angry mob of people so infectiously religious that Samantha swears that it reminds her of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Hope: (crying) Well my father may not believe in our lord and savior but i do! Please God help me in this time of desperate need, give me the strength to defeat these bastards who slaughtered my father right in front of me. I do not care what the costs are to obtain this power just give it to me! I beg of you!

Hope's prayer is eventually answered by a raging demon who emerges from underground. He is a horned creature, bathing in fire with a deep and deathly voice. It is clear to Hope that this being is the Devil himself, Satan!

Satan: I shall grant your request thou flustered wench under one condition.

Hope: What's that?

Satan: I shall give you the power that you seek if you sacrifice your beautiful body in exchange for my assistance.

Hope: Fine! Take it! Take my beauty i don't care about it at this point! My curvaceous body has caused me nothing but trouble! All the men in this village only see me for my beauty and for nothing else! Just give me the power that i seek!

Satan: You lack any form of vanity that i see so often in the human stereotypes about women. I'm intrigued... I shall give you the power you seek. You shall become my Horsewoman of death! The strongest of my lieutenants!

Satan picks Hope up and puts his hands over her which burns her skin and causes her body to resemble that of a corpse. Her figure that was sought after so much by the male chauvinists of the town disappears and her blonde hair is completely burned off. Her normal attire is replaced with dark, foreboding robes and Satan finishes the transformation by giving her a scythe as her weapon of choice.

Hope: Yes! I feel the power coursing through my veins! I am destruction, I am vengeance, I am Perish! These men will rue the day they have ever met the goddess of death!

Samantha becomes even more shocked at that memory and she tries to shake it off but it keeps on lingering in the back of her mind.

Samantha: (Perish is obviously mentally disturbed. I need to be careful when i eventually face her.)

Samantha runs over to another gold plated door to find Starwoman. However the intergalactic powerhouse is badly wounded as she has cuts on her arms and legs and she has rips and tears on her leotard.

Samantha: Oh my god! Starwoman are you okay? Who did this to you? Was it Perish?

Starwoman: Yeah... That Grim Reaper looking woman sliced me to pieces... She told me that i would be tortured for my sins... I should have known that i was a hypocrite... Especially with my arguments against you... I said your outfit showed off too much when i wear this stupid leotard that won't stop giving me wedgies! I know it's horrifically revealing in some ways but i don't have a choice i have to dress like this! I can't wear anything else or my stupid powers malfunction! My powers come with the costume!

Samantha: Wow... I didn't know that your superpowers work that way.

Starwoman: Well why else would i run around in a tight leotard while i fight crime?

Samantha: I can think of ten good reasons. Anyway where is the Amazon? Do you have any extra info?

Starwoman: Well if there's one thing that Perish is not good at it's keeping her mouth shut. She told me about War, this third Horsewoman she's with. She had this huge arrogant spiel about how powerful she is as a "Blood Spirit" who's made out of the blood of dead US Military soldiers and the victims of 9/11. She's even apparently fused with the blood of the Navy Seals who killed Osama Bin Laden. Anyway she told me that she is guarding the Amazon and you probably need to dissipate her in order to get to your mentor.

Samantha: Thanks Starwoman. I'll have you out of this cage in a second. Can you still fight?

Samantha breaks the lock with her bo staff and Starwoman rolls out of the cage before flying up to the ceiling with utter joy.

Starwoman: I'm bruised but not beaten. I'll just patch myself up when i get out of this place. i feel like i'm at the beginning of a very bizarre Scooby Doo episode!

Starwoman flies out of the Chapel as Samantha heads for the final door in the hallway.

Samantha: (I just hope i'm not too late. Is the Amazon safe? Is she even alive? What did Perish do to her?)

Samantha sneaks through the hall when suddenly another memory appears in front of her which shows Perish in her signature robes with her scythe slicing apart the mob that killed her father. She is smiling in a sinister fashion and laughing maniacally. She finishes her victims off in less than 20 seconds and after she is done cleaning her scythe of her victims blood she boldly proclaims her presence to all of the onlooking bystanders.

Perish: Villagers! You shall know me as Perish! The woman of destruction and suffering! The spirit of death! You will pay for all of your sins! Your discrimination! Your prejudices! I'm finished with staying on the sidelines like a man's property and all of you shiftless pale bastards will be destroyed! You have no power over me you wastes of human skin!

The memory ends and Samantha finally feels a sense of pity for Perish. If she was treated as an equal and not as an object of arousal by the men in her life perhaps she would have cared for more men than just her father.

Samantha: (I get it Perish, you had a bad human life, none of the men saw you as a person but killing everyone you see is not how you deal with these problems! I hope the Amazon is safe. I need her now more than ever!)

Samantha reaches the final golden plated door in the hallway and decides to enter. When she opens the door she sees not the Amazon but the "Blood Spirit" that Starwoman warned her about! The spirit shoots a stream of blood out of its mouth which hits Samantha right in her chest! Samantha careens across the room and ends up at the end of the hall covered in blood.

Samantha: All right! I've had just about enough of this! It's time for some female ghost-busting!

Samantha gets up and whips out her staff. She runs towards the Blood Spirit known as War but passes right through her!

War: (Laughs) Silly lady! You cannot catch the crimson liquid of human life! It's time for you to pay!

War teleports to Samantha's position and chokes the life out of her! She slams Samantha against the wall and prepares for her ultimate attack!

War: Your insolence and resilience will end now!

War spreads out her jaws and shoots blood right into Samantha's open mouth! Samantha realizes that the blood is irradiated and it burns her esophagus like acid! She closes her eyes in shame and is about to accept her defeat. Suddenly Starwoman appears behind War and shoots a star beam at her which causes War to fall down and release Samantha.

Starwoman: Never mess with a superhero with an attitude!

Samantha tries to say thank you but her vocal cords are so messed up from the radiated blood that she can't say a word.

Starwoman: You will pay for your arrogance War let me introduce you to my other super power!

Starwoman creates a portal into space and the vacuum of space starts to pull both War and Samantha into it! Star woman swoops in and grabs Samantha leaving War to get flung into the portal and launched permanently into the Milky Way as Starwoman closes the portal but also collapses after her deed is done. Tatiana the nurse comes along with Human Insect, Bowregard and She-Beast come along to assess the madness that has occurred.

Human Insect: Wow i didn't know you could do that Starwoman! I've known you for 3 years and you never showed me that!

Starwoman: I only open portals to the Milky way when i absolutely need to. It really takes a lot out of me in the end.

Bowregard: I get it you use it as a last resort. Cool.

Tatiana: Samantha speak to me! What's wrong with her?

Starwoman: She got some of that radiated blood into her esophagus. She'll die if some one doesn't get her to puke it out!

She-Beast: Ughh! That's revolting!

Human Insect: I know! I'm fully healed! I'll go into her mouth and punch her uvula! I'll have to get out of there quickly but it might save her.

She-Beast opens Samantha's mouth and Human Insect flies in and punches Samantha's uvula just hard enough to make her vomit. Human Insect flies out of her mouth just before Samantha rolls onto her stomach and vomits all of the radiated blood out of her digestive system.

Samantha: (coughs) Oh... I feel horrible. Starwoman... Thank you...

Starwoman: You're welcome. Now let's go and save the Amazon.

Our heroes reach the door and open it. The Amazon is relatively unharmed and she is not happy in the slightest.

Amazon: Thank you for saving me guys and gals. But Samantha you shouldn't have rushed into that battle without a plan.

Samantha: Are you kidding me?! What would you have done differently? You're the indestructible Suburban Amazon! You love a good fight!

Amazon: I fight only when it is necessary. You became a super strong woman because you launched yourself into the ring even when we had this crime wave handled. I just think if you think before you act you would be in danger less often.

Samantha: I understand but i have one more thing to say before we go to defeat Perish.

Samantha breaks the Amazons cell lock with her staff and has all of her allies join her in the chapel entrance.

Samantha: If there's one thing i'd like to say it's thank you. Thank you for letting me be a hero for all of this time Power Patrol. I took what the Amazon said to mind and i believe that she is right. I need to be strategic and not just act to be a real hero. Together we can avenge the fallen that have been struck down by Perish's wrath. Now if you don't see me as a hero you can leave right now, but if you believe that i deserve a second chance at saving the whole world with you men and women of justice please step forward.

Everyone cheers and steps forward.

Amazon: You're doing good Sam. Now let's save the world Power Patrol! We are righteous! We are justice! We are Power!

The heroes run over to a looming castle in the distance where they know Perish is hiding due to Bowregard seeing her in the castle when he uses his enhanced vision. Perish waits in anticipation as the Devil waits alongside her.


	10. Chapter 10

The Cruising Crusader The Final Chapter

The Power Patrol sprints towards the Structure near the Church they were in and decide on a plan of action.

Samantha: Okay. This very well might be our final battle together. I love all of you so very much but now we must devise our last strategy.

Samantha and The Suburban Amazon draw a map on the ground with a nearby stick and assign each Power Patrol member with a task to complete.

Suburban Amazon: Alright so Human Insect and Starwoman, you get to initiate an air strike that will distract the demons and allow for the rest of us to get inside.

Human Insect: It would be my honor!

Starwoman: My Destiny was always to fly up to the stars! You've got yourself a deal!

Suburban Amazon: Bowregard, you are going to assist them by sniping at the demons from afar.

Bowregard: You got it Chief.

Suburban Amazon: She-Beast, You use your powers to take care of all of the outside demons as your giant self.

She-Beast: Gladly.

Suburban Amazon: Tatiana, you stay out here and try to evacuate anyone who might get injured during this battle.

Tatiana: I certainly will.

Suburban Amazon: Finally I'll go into the castle of hassle with Samantha and try to take down Perish and the Devil once and for all!

Samantha: We have come this far and we will not surrender on this day! We have defeated a unchecked capitalist moron, two gangsters who thought they were above the law and three Horsewomen of the Apocalypse! Now it's up to us to save this world from the sins of the past! Power Patrol Charge!

Samantha and The Suburban Amazon charge towards the castle as the Power Patrol sets out to accomplish their own objectives. Starwoman blasts through the flying demons with her starblasts as Human Insect Stings the demons who get too close to her cosmic powered friend. Bowregard snipes the demons from a safe cliff that overlooks the castle as Tatiana decides to stick with Bowregard and defend the archer by electrocuting the demons with her cattle prod and throwing syringes at their heads. She-Beast meanwhile grows 50 feet tall and stomps on the lesser demons and lifts one of the castles towers out of its foundation and tosses it onto hundreds of demons on the ground!

She-Beast: I am the biggest and strongest woman in the world! Don't you forget it you hellspawn!

Samantha and Suburban Amazon burst right through the door and initially... find no one inside.

Samantha: What the hell? They bailed already?

Suddenly a red haired woman who looks like Samanthas nerdy alter ego walks over to Samantha. Samantha is flabbergasted and thinks she is going nuts.

Suburban Amazon: Am I seeing double? Who is she?

Samantha Clone: Hey you're looking good me! But I prefer seeing you (Her eyes glow red) in excruciating pain!

The Samantha Clone punches Samantha in the chest and bites her face! Suburban Amazon tries to get her off but the clone pushes her aside! Samantha kicks the clone off but the bite causes her to have a scar on her right cheek.

Samantha: Who are you?!

The Clone morphs into a red demon with horns who is covered in flames! It is the Devil!

Devil: Ha Ha Ha! You feeble minded fool! You can't stand against the Lord of Darkness! No matter what happens to me I always come back stronger than ever!

Perish walks into the room with her Scythe unsheathed.

Devil: Ah... Perish will you do the honors?

Perish: Absolutely Master. I'm starting by executing you!

Perish slices the Devils head clean off as the Devil screams in agony! She then absorbs the Devils body into her Scythe and directs her attention towards Samantha.

Perish: Seems like I'm the Devil now! You and your entire pathetic world are finished! My work is almost finished.

Samantha: You cannot take the world over if I'm still in it! You will not reach the real world on my watch!

Perish: If you insist... I shall create a worthy battlefield through this portal. If you fear for your life do not follow me. But if you are willing to die for those that you love you may enter.

Perish creates the portal and steps inside. Suburban Amazon gets up and talks to Samantha about the decision.

Suburban Amazon: Samantha. If you step in there I predict that you will have a 0 percent chance of escaping unless you kill Perish. You must break your no kill rule in order to save the world. Samantha... Good luck.

Samantha: Thanks Amazon.

Samantha enters the portal and ends up in a beautiful green field with cherry blossoms peppering the landscape. Perish appears in front of her and begins a monologue.

Perish: It seems that you've decided to end your life in battle after all. It pleases me greatly to see such misplaced valor Sam. Take a moment to admire your surroundings, this place shall become your grave. The hatred for mankind that boils in my veins... You will taste all of it in the bite of my scythe. The only question left is how long you will last against me, try to keep it interesting for me will you? Know that when you do fall that your world is mine go subjugate, mine to ravage, mine to rule!

Samantha pulls out her bo staff and prepares for combat, her face is filled with anger and determination.

Perish: It won't be long now... I will destroy the Power Patrol and the entire world will crumble under my power!

Perish rushes over to Samantha and swings her Scythe but Samantha blocks the attack and counters by smacking her in the head! Perish punches Samantha in the face and Samantha retaliates with a punch of her own. Perish conjures an orb of energy and shoots if at Samantha! She pushes her huge muscles to their limit and pushes the orb back as the recoil sends her flying! The orb explodes in Perish's face and blows her to bits!

Samantha: Was that it?

Perish: Not by a long shot!

Perish reassembles her body and points her Scythe skyward. Her Scythe becomes enveloped in dark energy as she charges towards Samantha! Samantha avoids the attack and dodges every consecutive strike that Perish throws at her untill she gets caught by a swipe that cuts her arm! Samantha recoils in pain and points her Bo Staff skyward which causes the staff to become enveloped in light energy! Samantha realises that this could be the one thing that could beat Perish and she swings her staff first at Perish's left shoulder, then her right shoulder, then she ducks a swing of Perish's scythe, swings at her legs and then swings at Perish's head knocking her down! Samantha thrusts her staff downward at Perish firing the light energy at Perish's chest which impales her like a spear! Samantha has prevented the Apocalypse!

Perish: Impossible... I can't die... I'm the Grim Reaper... You have won this battle... But your world will crumble... Your world will never be without hatred without prejudice and without injustice. As such an incarnation of my hatred will surface one day and reduce your pathetic universe to Dust!

Perish laughs maniacally as she fades out of existence. All of the demons also fade as the Power Patrol and Samantha return to the real world.

Starwoman: We're back at the hospital!

Bowregard: Woo Hoo! Samantha! You did it!

Human Insect: I knew you would! I just knew you would!

She-Beast: Well done Samantha you saved the world!

Samantha: Aww shucks guys. You're all Heroes in my book.

Suburban Amazon: Tatiana. Are all of the demons destroyed?

Tatiana: They are all taken care of.

Suburban Amazon: Then we all did it. We all played our part in saving the universe, People think our world is too corrupted to be saved or to even be worth saving but we proved that while our individual actions are weak, they add up and they can lead to a better world. Thanks to all of us the world can prevent evil from ever spreading anywhere else in this world. We did it!

Samantha opens the door of the hospital revealing a crowd of reporters prepared to interview the Heroes about their greatest victory of all time.

Samantha: Come on. Let's tell the world that there is no fear. Cause the Cruising Crusader is here!

The Heroes walk outside as the eyewitnesses see the world can be changed by working together as equals and that if they work hard enough deep down they can all be superheroes!


End file.
